FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
JOHN L. WINN
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
Contact Persons
Name:
Cathy Cross
Phone:
850-245-0400
Suncom:
205-0400
Email:
Cathy.Cross@fldoe.org
Name:
Cathy Bishop
Phone:
850-245-0478
Suncom:
205-0478
Email:
Cathy.Bishop@fldoe.org
DPS: 05-054
MEMORANDUM
TO:
District School Superintendents
FROM:
Jim Warford
DATE:
November 22, 2004
SUBJECT: Students Served in Hospital/Homebound Program
During the spring, several focus groups were conducted around the state regarding students who
receive services in the hospital/homebound program. These focus groups specifically addressed
issues for students with acute and chronic long-term illnesses who receive medical care in one of
the member hospitals of the Association of Florida Children’s Hospitals. An issue that was
identified in each of these meetings related to students who are routinely hospitalized in a
children’s hospital in an adjacent county. Hospital staff members, families, and school district
staff expressed frustration at the frequent cycle of withdrawal from the home district, enrollment
in the district where the hospital is located, followed ultimately by re-enrollment in the home
district at the end of the hospitalization period. For students with chronic long-term illnesses,
this process can be repeated many times during a school year. The question was identified,
JIM WARFORD
K – 12 Chancellor
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
Students Served in Hospital/Homebound Program
November 22, 2004
Page 2
“Can a student in the hospital/homebound program be enrolled in two districts at the same
time?” Yes, a student may be enrolled in two districts at the same time. Students who are
chronically or intermittently ill whose health conditions necessitate frequent placement in the
hospital/homebound program may be alternately assigned to the school-based and the
hospital/homebound program (even when these are located in different school districts) and
move from one to the other as needed. These students do not have to be withdrawn and re-
enrolled each time they switch from one program to the other.
Each school district should provide a schedule for the student that is in effect when the student
attends that district school or program. The district is not required to make changes to the
student’s schedule while the student is attending the program in the other district. In addition,
attendance should be maintained for the alternately-assigned student in each district. For
example, the student should be counted absent in one program and present in the other on a daily
basis depending on the district program attended that day. In 2005-06, the Department of
Education anticipates creating a recordkeeping code that will prevent these students from
appearing absent in one district, while they are actually in attendance in the alternate district
program. More detailed instructions on this code and its use are forthcoming.
Students who are alternately assigned to the hospital/homebound program and to the school-
based program in two districts are counted for Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP)
funding purposes based on their enrollment during the FTE survey week. This may be in either
district or in both districts depending on the services they receive in each district program during
that week. For students served in both districts during survey week, each district should report
the number of minutes for which the student received services in that district. For example, the
district providing hospital services should report the student for the number of minutes the
student received hospital/homebound services at the hospital. The district providing school
services should report the student for the number of minutes the student was in attendance at the
school site during that week.
We anticipate that this information will facilitate the process of serving students with chronic
long-term illnesses who are frequently hospitalized. For additional information, please contact
Cathy Cross, Program Specialist, Education Information and Accountability Services, or Cathy
Bishop, Program Specialist, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services.
JW/cbm
cc:
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District Administrators,
Exceptional Student Education
District Administrators, Management Information Services
Shan Goff
Lavan Dukes
David Montford
Bambi Lockman
Cathy Bishop
Lee Clark
Ruth Jones
Cathy Cross
