Sycamore School Board approves purchases, roofing and paving contracts; discusses kindergarten registration and state funding

The Sycamore School District Board of Education approved several procurement and construction items, accepted a clean audit for FY 2024, and heard updates on kindergarten registration and the state budget process at its meeting.

Superintendent Michael Lewis reported that kindergarten registration is tracking ahead of last year with 349 students registered or pending across the district: 103 at Blue Ash, 91 at Mapledale, 77 at Montgomery and 80 at Sims. He said current full‑day registrations are stronger than half‑day and supplied half‑day counts: Blue Ash 21, Mapledale 8, Montgomery 14 and Sims 14. Lewis said the district will try to set section assignments by May 1 and that kindergarten tuition for half‑day this year is $3,750 per student. Lewis told the board he will bring recommendations to the board’s April meetings and asked the board to consider whether the district should move to universal full‑day kindergarten funded in the operating budget; if implemented, half‑day would be offered at a single site for families who choose it.

Treasurer Chad Burson reported that the FY 2024 audit returned a clean opinion. The district’s monthly financial report for January 2025 was also approved; the treasurer told the board revenues are tracking above projections but noted the district is still awaiting major tax settlements that arrive later in the fiscal year.

On procurement and capital projects the board approved a Chromebook purchase and authorized bids and contracts for district paving and multiple roofing projects. The board approved an agreement (up to $220,000) with a vendor to prepare district paving bid packages and authorized bids for paving projects at several sites. The board also approved multi‑year roofing work, including a phased replacement at Blue Ash Elementary and continued roofing sections at Sycamore High School. Presenters described drainage and staging constraints at the high school and said the overall multi‑year roofing program has required phased work during summer windows.

Board members also approved an overnight field trip for Sycamore High School DECA students (March 10–11, Columbus) and accepted routine personnel and donations.

In committee and advisory matters, the board moved a proposed Business Advisory Board bylaw change forward for additional cleanup after finding the uploaded draft contained markups and a conversion error; the item was not approved at this meeting and will return with a clean document.

Legislative update: board member Lisa Logan, who serves on the Ohio Association of School Business Officials’ legislative committee, summarized the governor’s biennial budget proposal. She reported the governor proposes continuing the Fair School Funding Plan phase‑in; simulations released to date show Sycamore could see roughly $1.1 million in additional state aid in year one and another $1.1 million in year two (about $2.2 million over the biennium) compared with the district’s current forecast assumptions. Logan cautioned that the governor’s proposal continues to use FY2022 cost inputs for some calculations, an issue many districts and advocacy groups are watching, and said the board’s advocacy should emphasize equal accountability for publicly funded providers and continuing the phase‑in while updating cost inputs.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of agenda — approved by voice vote/motion (recorded as moved and seconded). Outcome: approved. - Approval of minutes — approved by voice vote/motion. Outcome: approved. - Student absences and excuses policy, second read and approval — approved by roll call. Outcome: approved. - Chromebook purchase — approved by roll call. Outcome: approved. - Authorization to bid district paving projects — authorized. Outcome: approved. - Agreement for district paving scope (vendor contract up to $220,000) — approved. Outcome: approved. - Contracts for district roofing projects (Blue Ash Elementary and Sycamore High School, Garland/DBS Inc.) — approved. Outcome: approved. - Overnight field trip (DECA state competition, March 10–11, Columbus) — approved. Outcome: approved. - Personnel consent agenda — approved. Outcome: approved. - January 2025 monthly financial report — approved. Outcome: approved. - Business Advisory Board bylaws — not approved at this meeting; item deferred for a clean document and returned to a future agenda.

No bond sales, levies or changes to district‑level levies were approved at this meeting.

Several board members and administrators praised the junior high’s Tier 2 reading intervention (presented earlier in the meeting) and suggested staff consider opportunities to present the model beyond the district.

The board scheduled follow‑ups on kindergarten section assignments for early May and signaled an April financial retreat agenda item to analyze the options and budget impacts of moving to districtwide full‑day kindergarten.