PGCPS committee advances new home and hospital teaching policy aligned with state law

The Policy and Governance Committee on June 17 recommended a new board policy establishing Home and Hospital Teaching services for students who, because of a verified physical or emotional health condition or pregnancy/parenting responsibilities, cannot attend school in person.

Policy sponsor Jontell Welsh presented the draft policy and pointed committee members to the corresponding administrative procedure and the statutory basis, Education Article 7‑301.1, which requires provision of such services where appropriate. The proposed policy calls for superintendent oversight, timely verification of need (with documentation from an authorized health provider), review of services every 60 calendar days, and additional procedures for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), whose IEP teams will determine needed instructional services and a return plan.

Vice Chair Briggs asked that the policy explicitly include ‘‘mental health and behavioral health’’ examples (depression, anxiety, trauma) as qualifying conditions, and requested regular reporting on service use and outcomes, including demographic breakdowns for equity monitoring. Committee members also asked that the policy explicitly cover students in partial‑day or outpatient treatment programs who still need academic support. Ms. Welsh agreed those clarifications could be addressed in the administrative procedure or via clarifying edits.

The committee voted to recommend the new policy to the policy sponsor for revision approval. The administrative procedure will include detailed verification, safety and service delivery steps, training for any staff providing instruction in home/hospital settings, and a procedure to resolve implementation disputes.