On Wednesday, March 25, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) published the following broadcast memo providing an update regarding the provision of home instruction:
The purpose of this memo is to inform local school officials about recently enacted legislation designed to clarify and update the statute regarding the health care professionals who may provide documentation to a school district when there is a need for home instruction due to a student’s health condition.
Parents may submit a request for home instruction that includes a written determination from the student’s physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse documenting the projected need for confinement to the student’s residence or other treatment setting for more than 10 consecutive school days or 17 cumulative school days. Please note that the statutory threshold of 17 cumulative school days now supersedes the current regulation at N.J.A.C. 6A:16-10.1(a)1, which had set the requirement at 20 cumulative school days during the school year.
The provision of home instruction to reduce absences associated with a student’s health needs is intended to decrease the negative academic impacts associated with absenteeism. In most cases, the primary focus would remain on supporting the student’s timely return to regular in-person school attendance when the student is medically able to do so.
The provision of home instruction remains a complex decision. A New Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics presentation recognized that school avoidance may occur when a student is absent for a prolonged period, even for a legitimate medical reason. Accordingly, local educational agencies, in consultation with the student’s primary health care provider, school nurse, and school physician, may consider the benefits of partial-day school attendance combined with home instruction, when appropriate. The school physician may request additional medical or educational information as necessary to make an informed determination regarding eligibility and the appropriate instructional plan.
For questions, please email healthysch@doe.nj.gov.
