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Homebound Instruction
Homebound Instruction is for students unable to attend school due to various physical, behavioral, or emotional difficulties. A Homebound Application must be approved by the Director of Special Services prior to this service being provided. To be considered, the homebound application must be completed & signed by a MD, DO, psychiatrist, or psychologist.Homebound Instruction is not the preferred method of providing instructional services to students. As a rule, it is more difficult for students to succeed academically when placed on Homebound Instruction as opposed to receiving regular instruction in the classroom. The Waynesville School District offers a wide variety of courses in mathematics, language arts, practical and social sciences, upper level courses, foreign languages, Basic Business, art, music, etc. Students may find the homebound instructor is not as well versed in the subject areas as are classroom instructors specializing in that area. Homebound Instruction is usually limited to core subject areas. Students may wish, or may need, to attend academic assistance as provided by the regular classroom instructor in addition to Homebound Instruction, if possible.
If approved, Homebound Instruction will be provided according to the current school year calendar. Instruction will not be provided during Christmas vacation, spring break, school holidays, or during the summer. The time allowed by the Missouri State Department of Education for their reimbursement is five hours weekly. Therefore, assignments left by the homebound teacher must be completed between visits. However, IEP Teams have some flexibility in determining weekly hours.
The length of time approved for Homebound Instruction varies depending primarily on the student's condition. In the event Homebound Instruction needs to be extended beyond the original approved application time, written notification from the attending physician, psychiatrist, or other state required professional must be submitted to the school district prior to the possible extension of homebound services. It then must be approved again.
Homebound Attendance Policy:
To count a homebound student for full attendance, students must receive a minimum of five hours of instruction per calendar week (Sunday through Saturday). Full attendance means the possible attendance hours for that week. For example, our district has a seven-hour day, a student in full attendance would generate 35 attendance hours (7 hours per day x 5 days) for a one-week period. If the homebound student is receiving five hours of instruction per week, the attendance is reported as 35 hours. Attendance hours for students receiving homebound instruction for less than five hours per week reverts to time being counted as one hour of attendance for each hour of homebound instruction. In other words, for time less than five hours per week, a full week of attendance is not counted for the child.
To print a Homebound Application, click here.