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Programs and Services » Special Education » Homebound Services

Homebound Services

 

General Education Homebound

Any student who is served through the GEH program must meet the following three criteria:

  • The student is expected to be confined at home or hospital bedside for a minimum of four weeks. The weeks need not be consecutive.
  • The student is confined at home or hospital bedside for medical reasons only.
  • The student’s medical condition is documented by a physician licensed101 to practice in the United States.
 

A student served through the GEH program at home or hospital bedside must be served by a certified general education teacher. Throughout his or her confinement, the student must be provided instruction in all core academic subject area courses in which the student is enrolled. In addition, throughout confinement, the student should be provided instruction in all other courses the student is enrolled in, if possible. In cases where students are medically able to receive more than the required minimum of four hours of face-to-face instruction, LEAs may provide additional remote instruction. Please note that concurrent instruction is not allowed.

A referral under Section 504 should be considered to determine eligibility for homebound students with a suspected disability. If the student is already eligible under Section 504, a Section 504 meeting must be held to discuss potential homebound eligibility. 

GEH Committee
A designated campus committee must make decisions regarding GEH placement. For Section 504 eligible students, follow Section 504 policies and procedures for committee membership.

Members of the committee should include, but are not limited to:
• a campus administrator,
• a teacher of the student, and
• a parent or guardian of the student. 

For more information on general education homebound(GEH) eligibility, the role of the GEH committee, GEH/Section 504 Committee Documentation Responsibilities, and the GEH Funding Chart please visit pages 67-71 of the 2023–2024 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook.

Special Education Homebound

To be placed in the special education homebound instructional setting, a student aged six years or older must meet the following four criteria:
  • The student is eligible for special education and related services as determined by an ARD committee.
  • The student is expected to be confined at home or hospital bedside for a minimum of
    four weeks. The weeks need not be consecutive if the student is chronically ill and the local district policy allows for such.
  • The student is confined at home or hospital bedside for medical or psychological reasons only.
  • The student must have a medical or psychological condition118 that is documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States.

Infants and toddlers from birth through age two may be placed in the homebound instructional setting if their individualized family services plan (IFSP) committees determine that placement is appropriate. Students aged three through five years may be placed in the homebound instructional setting if their ARD committees determine that placement is appropriate. 

A student’s IFSP or ARD committee determines the amount of services to be provided to the student in this instructional setting. A student aged six or older who meets the four criteria above does not need to meet the criteria in the federal definition for other health impairment (OHI) to be eligible for homebound services. Neither does a student under the age of six for whom an ARD or IFSP committee has determined that the homebound instructional setting is appropriate.
 
In making eligibility and placement decisions, the ARD committee must consider information from the licensed physician. However, the documentation from the licensed physician should not be the sole consideration in the committee’s decision-making process.
 
The teacher serving a student (“homebound teacher”) while the student is in the special education homebound setting must be a certified special education teacher. Supplementing in-person homebound instruction with virtual instruction is encouraged for students in special education homebound programs where medically appropriate and to the extent that such instruction is consistent with students’ individualized education programs. Virtual instruction provided to students in special education homebound programs cannot be provided by a teacher concurrently instructing students in person. 
 

For more information on special education homebound please visit page 102 of 2023–2024 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook.

Reference Documents: 

Student Attendance Accounting Handbook

    • General Education Homebound (GEH) Program (p. 67)
    • Special Education Homebound Placement (p. 102)
    • Homebound Examples (p.145)
    • Pregnancy-Related Services (PRS) (p.205)
    • Remote Conferencing Regular Education Students (p. 260)
    • Remote Conferencing—Students Receiving Special Education and Related Services (p. 261)
    • Remote Homebound Instruction—Regular Education Students (p.263)
    • Remote Homebound Instruction—Students Receiving Special Education and Related Services (p.264)
 

Strong Start: Students with Disabilities Planning Supports (P.45)

State Waiver Guidebook

Texas Education Agency Homebound FAQ

Texas Administrative Code