Homebound program helps students
By Jennifer Schultes
Katie Walker, now a junior at Kelly Walsh, got mono in eighth grade. In ninth grade she caught every virus that went around. In October of that year, doctors removed her tonsils. Her family made trips to the Mayo Clinic trying to uncover why Katie kept getting so sick. The doctors had ideas, but could give no concrete diagnosis. They still can’t.
“This is when we really started relying on Homebound,” said Linda Walker, Katie’s mother. “We didn’t want her to get behind in school.”
Homebound, a service required by state statute, is a program designed to help students if they have to miss more than five days of school for medical reasons, said Frank Mello, Homebound administrator.
Last year, 246 students took advantage of Homebound. The year before, 216 used the service.
“The numbers are rising,” said Ruth Putnam, former Homebound coordinator.
Tutors work with Homebound students for up to seven-and-a-half hours per week, per student. Linda thinks Katie’s tutors are “unsung heroes” who “ride in on white horses.”
Putnam said that some students, like Katie, attend school part-time. She said that teachers and schools have been very good about working with Homebound students in subjects such as art and cooking, which require more hands-on participation.
Mello said the bottom line is that Homebound is a great program.
“It provides a situation where if something unfortunate happens, we can continue to provide an education for our students.”
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