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Board hears update, schedules first reading to adopt state model special-education policies
Summary
The district presented required changes to special-education policies following Ohio Department of Education and Workforce updates. Administrators said the district will adopt the state model policies and submit board approval next month; the board approved a first reading of revised policies as part of consent items passed 5-0.
The Twinsburg Board of Education on Feb. 19 reviewed changes to special-education operating standards issued by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and approved a first reading of revised policies that adopt the state’s model policies and procedures.
Ryan Bandiera, the district’s director of people services, told the board the state updated operating standards in 2024 and that the district must indicate whether it will adopt the Department’s model policies or create its own. “The district is electing to adopt the model policies,” Bandiera said, adding that the decision allows the district to continue using the familiar forms families and staff already use, including Individualized Education Program (IEP) paperwork and evaluation reports.
Bandiera summarized several notable changes in the state operating standards. The definition of “developmental delay” is expanded to allow that category for students through age 9 (it had been largely a preschool identification category). The guidance also clarifies surrogate-parent roles for students in foster care or under court placement, adds a clearer timeline (about 30 days) for transferring or accepting prior evaluations when students enter the district, and updates some job-title language for vocational training staff.
Bandiera said the district’s special-education supervisor, Marsha Spence, prepared a detailed summary and that the full policies and supporting documents are available in the special-education office. He told the board the district plans to submit its formal adoption to the state after board approval.
During the meeting the board approved a grouped set of business items that included the first reading of the revised special-education policy; that motion carried 5-0. Bandiera asked the board to note the administrative recommendation to adopt the model policy to avoid rebuilding forms and processes from scratch.
The board’s action places the district on a path to file the required documentation with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in March.
