Twinsburg schools to run state-funded kindergarten boot camp and stage hands‑on bus emergency drills after levy loss

The Twinsburg City School District heard two safety- and readiness-focused proposals at its regular board meeting: a state-funded kindergarten readiness “boot camp” and a multi‑agency bus emergency training exercise using an out‑of‑service school bus.

Mr. Aie, assistant principal at Wilcox Primary School, presented the kindergarten readiness program, saying the district secured a $60,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth to run an enhanced, four‑week boot camp from July 13 to Aug. 7. The program will enroll 40 children across three classrooms, run weekdays 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., and include enhanced supports such as an intervention specialist, speech‑language pathologist and occupational therapist. The grant covers staffing, three buses for transportation, supplies and staff professional development.

“It is a fully funded program by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth that runs from July 13th to August 7th,” Mr. Aie said. He said the program will use adopted phonics and benchmark curricula aligned to the science of reading and provide about 80 instructional hours.

Separately, Mr. Strickland described a partnership with Twinsburg police and fire to conduct hands‑on emergency drills using a paid‑off 2001 bus in the district fleet on May 29 — the bus will be used for active‑shooter simulations, bomb‑threat exercises and a bus‑overturn evacuation drill. He said the district will video the training, include a towing partner to tip the bus for realistic evacuation practice, invite other regional first responders, and involve the district drone club to produce training footage.

“We are going to practice numerous drills with this bus with staff. ... We will go through an active shooter training. We will go through a bomb threat training,” Mr. Strickland said, describing the May 29 professional‑development day for transportation staff and first responders.

Board members praised the boot camp as an early‑intervention step intended to reduce future need for intensive interventions and to improve long‑term outcomes such as third‑grade report‑card performance. The district clarified the program is invitation‑only and will prioritize students identified through kindergarten screening, including up to 16 students with special needs who do not qualify for extended‑school‑year services but would benefit from transition supports.

Public commenter Tina Davis urged continued community advocacy after the district’s recent levy loss and recommended inviting the district’s state representative to discuss funding issues. “Maybe now would be a good time to invite state representative Steve Ditro to a future board meeting,” she said.

In response to the levy result, a board member proposed requesting a full independent performance audit from the Ohio Auditor’s Office to examine staffing relative to enrollment, contract competitiveness and program effectiveness. The proposal was presented as a path forward to identify opportunities to operate more efficiently while preserving educational quality; the board indicated it would pursue next steps.

What’s next: The kindergarten program will invite families after June screening results with invitations expected in early June; the emergency bus training is scheduled May 29 as professional development for transportation and first‑responder partners. The proposed performance audit was introduced as a formal request and the board will consider logistics and scope in upcoming meetings.