ADMINISTRATIVE RULE 342.2

AR342.2    - Homebound Instruction

A.     Students Entitled to Services

1.       Students with Disabilities (Special Education Homebound). Students identified as cognitively disabled, learning disabled or emotionally disturbed are sometimes entitled to homebased instruction if they are physically or emotionally unable to attend school. Students possessing chronic, severe and continuing physical conditions such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or rheumatoid arthritis may be identified as other health impaired by the IEP eligibility team and entitled to homebased instruction.

2.       School-Age Parents (SAP) . School-age parents (mothers) diagnosed as being pregnant are provided homebased instruction until they are physically capable of returning to school.

3.        Regular Education Students (Regular Education Homebound). Regular education students are sometimes unable to attend school for prolonged periods of time due to illness or injury. While these situations are temporary and correctable—unlike the characteristics of other health impaired youngsters—there is a need for homebased instruction and support.

B.      Procedures

1.       Coordination of Services: In special education homebound cases, the specific procedures may vary according to the circumstance. In initial cases that is, the student was not previously identified as possessing a special education need, the traditional staffing process shall be followed and homebound instruction cited as a delivery of service in the IEP. In cases where a student has already been identified as possessing a special education need, the child’s Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plan committee is reactivated, the IEP adjusted to reflect the new delivery system and a new IEP developed by the IEP team. In all special education homebound cases, the parents are entitled to due process as defined in law.  

In SAP situations, cases are coordinated by the building school psychologist. 

In regular education homebound situations, the building principal or designee is responsible for coordinating services. In these cases, no staffing process is required.                   

2.       Specific Provisions. In all homebound instruction situations, the school nurse is responsible for securing DPI Form PI2217: “Physician’s Statement—Homebound Instruction” from the student’s attending physician. In order for the student under review to be eligible for homebound services, the attending physician shall indicate that the student will be unable to attend school. In special education homebound cases, PI-2217 is to accommodate the adjusted IEP and new placement notice describing homebound services. In SAP cases, PI-2217 is to accommodate the “Student Accommodation Team Referral Plan” and DPI Form PI-2318: “Medical Statement School-Age Parents”, which is also secured by the school nurse. In regular education homebound cases, a copy of PI-2217 is given to the building principal and to the director of special education and pupil services.

The building principal or designee is responsible for employing either the child’s teacher or a certified substitute teacher to provide the homebased instruction in all homebound cases. The normally acceptable standard of intervention is three hours of homebased instruction per week with an additional hour of employment permitted for coordinating assignments with the classroom instructor. Hours exceeding this standard require the prior approval of the building principal and the director of special education and pupil services. The homebound instructor is also reimbursed for mileage in accordance with the district mileage rate. The hourly wage for homebound instruction is determined on an annual basis by the district’s business office.

3.       Reporting of Services: The homebased instructor shall submit a “Homebased Instruction” report in triplicate to the building principal by the last Friday of each month. The building principal will forward two copies of this report to the director of special education and pupil services by the following Wednesday. The director will forward one copy of the report to the district’s business office for final processing by the following Friday.        

Legal Ref.: Section 121.02 (1) (n), Wisconsin Statutes

Cross Ref.: Board Policy 342.2 – Homebound Instruction