Sycamore Community Schools earned a national award for financial transparency, the district announced Nov. 10.
The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) awarded the district its Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting. The recognition honors school districts that meet what ASBO calls the highest standards of financial transparency, according to the district's announcement.
The award covers the district's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025. Submitted reports undergo review by a panel of financial professionals before earning the designation, the district said.
The district credited its Treasurer's Office and finance team for the work behind the recognition.
The announcement came one week after voters approved a 6.95-mill combined property tax levy on Nov. 3, the district's first operating levy in a decade, according to a separate district post. The measure passed with 57.63% of the vote, based on unofficial results from the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
That levy includes 5.00 mills for operating expenses and 1.95 mills for permanent improvements. The district's last operating levy was in 2016.
Superintendent Chad Lewis said in the levy announcement that the district takes its financial responsibility to taxpayers seriously. "We recognize the financial commitment this represents for our taxpayers, and we take that responsibility seriously," Lewis said.
Jim Rowan, executive director of ASBO International, said in a statement carried by the district that the Certificate of Excellence program has promoted financial transparency for more than 50 years. "Districts that earn the COE have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to these principles," Rowan said.
