Following an initial three months of exemption from compulsory attendance, the school district must request an extension from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in order to continue to provide homebound instruction. There is no extension granted for a student that is not receiving homebound instruction unless it is determined that the student cannot profit from instruction. See 24 P.S. § 13-1329 and 22 Pa Code § 11.34 Laws and Regulations.
For a student with a special education designation, the LEA must immediately report the homebound instruction using the Special Education Students @ Home (SES@Home) reporting system. Refer to the Reporting Special Education Students webpage for details.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Integrated Monitoring System is used to request an extension of homebound instruction for a student. The date of the doctor's reevaluation should be within two weeks of the continuation date in order to obtain an extension approval from PDE.
Since there currently is no additional reimbursement for providing homebound instruction, there is no need to obtain permission from PDE to provide more than five hours of instruction or to provide homebound instruction in the summer. This is a local decision.
Access the Homebound Instruction Request Extension application in PDE’s Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) to request an extension of homebound instruction for a student.
Instructions
- A report must be submitted for any regular education student who will have been homebound for three months. If the need for homebound instruction continues past the initial three calendar months, a report for each subsequent request must also be submitted.
- Select PDE's Integrated Monitoring System (IMS)
- The Chief School Administrator (CSA) must give IMS users access to Homebound Instruction Request Extension in My Team.
- User login to IMS.
- Select School Services Office
- Select Homebound Instruction Request Extension.
- Save your updates
- Do not send attachments or doctor's letters; these are for the benefit of the LEA. All justification for the LEA’s request to continue homebound instruction must be included in the online request. Please ensure that the explanation is sufficiently detailed to justify an extension.
Resources
IMS User Access for Homebound Instruction Extension Request (PDF)
A report must be submitted for any regular education student who will receive homebound instruction for three months. Homebound Instruction
All special education students receiving homebound instruction must be reported immediately through the Special Education Students @ Home reporting system. Reporting Special Education Students
If the need for homebound instruction continues past the initial three months, a Local Educational Agency (LEA) must submit an extension request to the Department of Education. Requesting an Extension
On File
The LEA’s files, for audit purposes, must contain a request for homebound instruction signed by an appropriate licensed practitioner of the healing arts or other satisfactory evidence showing the child unable to attend school. This information should not be sent to the Department. The extension request form must include the medical condition necessitating homebound instruction; provide sufficient information to justify an extension. In order to continue homebound instruction after a three-month period, a new physician's statement must be in the LEA's files.
The State Board of Education Regulations, 22 Pa Code § 11.25, states the following:
(a) A principal or teacher may, upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of mental, physical or other urgent reasons, excuse a student for nonattendance during a temporary period, but the term ‘‘urgent reasons’’ shall be strictly construed and does not permit irregular attendance. A school district shall adopt rules and procedures governing temporary excusals that may be granted by principals and teachers under this section. Temporary excusals may not exceed 3 months.
(b) A school district, area vocational technical school, charter or independent school may provide students temporarily excused under this section with homebound instruction for a period not to exceed 3 months. A school district, area vocational technical school, charter or independent school may request approval from the Department to extend the provision of homebound instruction, which shall be reevaluated every 3 months. When a student receives homebound instruction, the student may be counted for attendance purposes as if in school. A school district shall be reimbursed for homebound instruction provided to a student under section 2510.1 of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 PS § 25-2510.1).
(c) A school district shall adopt policies that describe the instructional services that are available to students who have been excused under this section. The policies must include statements that define the responsibilities of both the district and the student with regard to these instructional services.
Tips on how to complete
Medical Condition - The extension request must include the medical condition necessitating homebound instruction. Please ensure that the explanation is sufficiently detailed to justify an extension.
Dates – All dates are calendar based.
Initial date (Date A) is the beginning date of the student's absence (and cannot be less than three months before the date of the extension request).
Date A --> Is the date the student is first absent, not when homebound instruction started.
Date of extension request (Date B)(should be three months after the "initial date").
Date B. --> Date B cannot be less than Date A + three months.
Date B cannot be greater than Date A + 3.5 months.
Anticipated ending date of extension request (Date C)(should be based on the physicians’ request of length or at maximum three months after the date of extension request).
Date C. --> Date C cannot be greater than Date B + three months.
Date of the physician's reassessment (Date D) MUST be within two weeks (14 days) of the date of the extension request. Ensure to request these reassessment physicians' notes from the family in a timely manner and provide them with a time frame.
Date D. --> Date D cannot be less than Date B – 14 days.
Date D cannot be greater than Date B + 14 days.
Contact
For further technical support, please contact the IMS Team at RA-EDIMS@pa.gov
For questions and assistance on homebound instruction, please contact
Special Education Students – Dr. Laura Bray – lhalstead@pa.gov
Regular Education Students – RA-homebound@pa.gov