Homebound Instruction

HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION

Home/hospital services are provided to a student when a licensed medical physician determines that the student will, or is anticipated, due to a medical condition, be out of school for a minimum of two consecutive weeks of school (10 days) or more or on an ongoing intermittent basis. The goal of home/hospital instruction is to provide the student with experiences that are equivalent to those afforded to other students at the same grade level and designed to enable the student to return to the classroom. Thus, the substance or content of the instruction, generally academic, is to enable the student to remain synchronized with the other students in his or her class.

A student who is unable to attend school because of pregnancy will be provided home instruction, correspondence courses, or other courses of instruction before (1) the birth of the child when the student’s physician indicates, in writing, that she is medically unable to attend regular classroom instruction, and (2) for up to 3 months after the child’s birth or a miscarriage.

Eligibility for Home and Hospital Instruction Services will be determined when all necessary paperwork is completed and returned to your student's school counselor, who will work with the Special Services Department to confirm eligibility and make tutoring arrangements.

To Request Homebound Tutoring:
The following forms are required to request homebound tutoring:

Parent Consent - Includes basic student and parent/guardian information and requires a parent/guardian’s signature verifying their request for the student’s participation in Home or Hospital Instruction.
Medical Certification - Completed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches (M.D. or D.O.), or a Physician’s Assistant (PA), or an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Must include: diagnosis, types of services prescribed, anticipated length of time the student is expected to be absent from school, doctor’s original signature.
Release of Confidential Information - This is required by law to allow authorized school personnel to receive any necessary reports, assignments/study materials or information during the student’s absence from the school.

If the student is determined eligible for homebound tutoring:

The high school will identify homebound tutors for the student and will contact the parent/guardian. The high school will also coordinate the sharing of instructional materials between the student’s teachers and tutors.
The student may be entitled to a minimum of one full hour (60 minutes) of instruction for each day that the District is in session, or 5 hours per week. (A physician can certify that the student should receive less than 5 hours per week.)
An adult over the age of 18 must be present in the home when tutoring takes place; most often, this is a parent or guardian. The homebound instructor may not meet with any student alone, and is directed to leave should an adult who knows the student not be present.
If the student has an IEP that affords him/her direct and related services, the IEP team will meet to consider how the plan may be adjusted to best support adverse effects of the student’s disability during his/her homebound tutoring experience.

Returning to School After Extended Homebound Leave:
When a student is cleared to return to school by his/her physician, the school's team can best support his/her reintegration into the learning environment with the provision of the Medical Clearance form. While not required, this form should be completed by a physician (M.D. or D.O.) licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, or a Physician’s Assistant (PA), or an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), and returned to the student's school counselor before the s/he returns to school from full time home or hospital instruction. This form will also allow the student’s IEP or 504 team, and/or LST, the opportunity to review the student’s needs to ensure an appropriate plan of support is put in place upon his/her return to school from full-time home or hospital instruction.

Questions or concerns regarding your child’s participation or eligibility in home and hospital instruction should be directed to:

Libertyville High School -
Claire DiBella, LHS Homebound Coordinator - claire.dibella@d128.org 847-327-7207
Anna DiStaola, LHS Special Services Administrative Assistant - anna.distaola@d128.org, 847-327-7113

Vernon Hills High School -
Kristin Miller, VHHS Homebound Coordinator - kristin.miller@d128.org 847-932-2231
Vi Butler, VHHS Special Services Administrative Assistant - viola.butler@d128.org 847-932-2028