The District will consider placing nondisabled students on homebound on a case-by-case basis pursuant to the following procedures:
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The parent or guardian of a student under 18 or the legal guardian of a student 18 or older must provide a written request for homebound to the building principal where the student attends.An emancipated student or a student 18 years or older must provide the written request to the building principal. The written request must include the reason or reasons for the request.
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If the request is based on medical, psychiatric or psychological reasons, the parent, guardian or emancipated student must provide a properly signed release that complies with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that authorizes the physician, psychologist, social worker or therapist who is currently treating the student to provide all relevant records to the District and to discuss the student’s situation and the need for homebound services with the building administrator and other relevant school personnel.This release must be provided to the building administrator prior to any decision regarding the need for homebound services.
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The parent, guardian or eligible or emancipated student must also provide the District with a properly signed release that complies with the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) that authorizes the District to discuss relevant information from the student’s education records with the currently treating physician, psychologist, social worker or therapist.
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The District may ask the parent, guardian or eligible or emancipated student to sign other educational or medical releases as necessary based on the reasons for the homebound request.
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Upon receipt of the written homebound request and the medical, psychiatric, psychological and other relevant information, the building principal, in consultation with the student’s teachers, therapists, school counselors, and/or other relevant school personnel, will review all information submitted by the parent, guardian or eligible or emancipated student as well as any relevant education records.If, after conducting this review, the administrative team determines that a referral for evaluation under the IDEA or Section 504 should be made, IDEA and/or 504 procedures will be instituted.
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For a nondisabled student, the building level administrative team along with the Board of Education will make a decision with respect to the need for homebound services.The parents, guardian or eligible or emancipated student are not required participants in this process, but the administrative team has the discretion, on a case-by-case basis, to decide if their participation would be helpful.
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If the building level administrative team and Board of Education determines homebound services are not needed, the building principal or his/her designee will notify the requesting party within 5 school days of the decision.The administrative team’s decision is final and may not be appealed.
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If the administrative team determines that the student needs homebound services, the administrative team will develop a written plan for such services.
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The homebound plan should include: (1) the reason for homebound; (2) the anticipated length of homebound must be reviewed every six weeks; (3) the classes or areas of curriculum to be addressed in homebound; (4) whether a homebound teacher is necessary or whether the provision of assignments is sufficient; and (5) the location of homebound services if a homebound teacher is deemed necessary.If a homebound teacher is necessary, the plan should also state the number of minutes or hours per week that homebound instruction will be provided.The homebound plan will also list the members of the administrative team.Finally, the homebound plan must indicate when the homebound instructor is expected to report the students’ grades and attendance to the school of record.
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If the administrative team concludes that a homebound instructor is necessary in the home, a parent or other adult (over age 21) must be present during the homebound instruction.The homebound instructor will not be required to administer medications or perform any other health related or medical procedures.
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Requests for homebound for students covered by the IDEA and/or Section 504 are not covered by this procedure.Such requests for these students must be presented to the student’s IEP or 504 team.
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Homebound services under this procedure will be available only during the regular school calendar and not during summer or holiday breaks.
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The District will not provide homebound services, through this procedure, to nonpublic students.Nonpublic students are those students who are voluntarily enrolled by their parents/guardian in private and/or parochial schools or are home schooled during the regular school year.
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If a student who is designated to receive homebound pursuant to this procedure fails to attend, participate or otherwise cooperate with the services described in the homebound plan, the building principal may, upon review of the situation, cease homebound services.If there is a decision to cease homebound services, the building principal or his/her designee will inform the parents/guardian or eligible student, in writing, of that decision. Missouri’s compulsory attendance laws will then apply.
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The building principal’s decision regarding cessation of homebound pursuant to Paragraph 14 above is final and may not be appealed.
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The District will provide the homebound student with textbooks and other routinely supplied materials that are necessary for a student’s homebound instruction.