Sycamore Community Schools

What Sycamore Community Schools does

Sycamore Community Schools is a public K-12 school district governed by an elected five-member Board of Education under Ohio Revised Code, serving approximately 5,000-7,000 students across seven schools in the Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area (Blue Ash, Montgomery, Loveland). The district operates four elementary schools (K-4), one intermediate school (grades 5-6), one junior high (grades 7-8), and one high school (grades 9-12), with enrollment restricted to residents within defined geographic boundaries — the district does not offer open enrollment. Academic programming includes 23 AP courses, six world languages, gifted education serving nearly 47% of students, special education, English Learner support, and career-readiness partnerships with 40+ local businesses.

The district's technology stack is built on third-party platforms: Canvas Learning Management System (adopted district-wide in 2022-2023) for instruction, Final Forms for registration and compliance documentation, Finalsite for the public website, Remind for multilingual family communications, ArcGIS for an interactive school-boundary viewer, and BoardDocs for governance transparency. The district recently adopted NEOLA policy templates (transition continuing through Summer 2026), including a new Artificial Intelligence policy (7540.09). The technology department is led by an Executive Director of Technology with a Supervisor of Instructional Technology.

Revenue is derived primarily from local property taxes, Ohio state foundation funding, and federal grants — not commercial sales. Limited tuition-based revenue comes from the Preschool program ($3,250/year for 2026-2027, Gold Level Step Up To Quality rated) and full-day kindergarten, while half-day kindergarten is free. Leadership is headed by Superintendent Chad Lewis (appointed 2021, internally promoted after eight years as Director of Business and Student Operations), supported by an executive team including the Interim Treasurer, Assistant Superintendent, and Executive Directors of Curriculum & Learning, Technology, Student Services, and Communications.

Name

Sycamore Community Schools

Legal name

Sycamore Community Schools

Website

https://sycamoreschools.org

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sycamore Community Schools is a public K-12 district in suburban Cincinnati operating seven schools for residents within its geographic boundaries, funded by property taxes and state aid, with no open enrollment and limited tuition-based preschool and kindergarten programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Remedial & Credit Recovery Learning Centers (EDANAHAK)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• School district services
• Preschool and kindergarten programs
• Gifted education services
• Child nutrition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes, state education funding, and federal grants. District does not operate on a commercial revenue model.
2. Tuition-Based Programs: Preschool program charges tuition ($3,250/year for 2026-2027) and full-day kindergarten has tuition fees. Half-day kindergarten is free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sycamore Community Schools is a public K-12 school district operating seven schools (four elementary, one intermediate, one junior high, one high school) in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, delivering preschool through 12th-grade education aligned with Ohio Learning Standards. The district provides core academic instruction, gifted education, special education, English Learners (ESOL) support, world language instruction (six languages), 23 AP courses, athletics, fine arts, child nutrition services, summer school, and college and career readiness programming with 40+ business partnerships.

Product overview

Sycamore Community Schools operates as a public K-12 school district serving approximately 7,000 students across seven schools in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. The district's educational offerings are delivered through a unified platform architecture combining Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) as the core instructional platform, Final Forms for registration and administrative workflows, and a suite of supporting systems including Parent Portal for family access, Sycamore Launch Pad for resource distribution, Sycamore School Viewer for geographic services, Translated Communications via Remind for multilingual engagement, BoardDocs for governance, and District Calendar for event management. The district also operates School Nutrition Services and Summer School Programs as core service offerings. Together, these products form an integrated educational ecosystem supporting teaching, learning, administration, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aviators: Mascot name for Sycamore Community Schools district, derived from aviation theme embedded in district culture and Portrait of an Aviator framework

Products and services

• Preschool Program Inclusive preschool program for children ages 3-5 with and without special needs, awarded the Gold Level Step Up To Quality Award by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. Lottery-based enrollment with tuition of $3,250/year for 2026-2027.
• Full-Day Kindergarten Tuition-based full-day kindergarten program with tuition assistance/waivers available for families qualifying under Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines via the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Family Application.
• Half-Day Kindergarten Half-day kindergarten program offered at no cost to families as a free public school service.
• Elementary Education (K-4) K-4 elementary education across four schools (Blue Ash, Maple Dale, Montgomery, Symmes) aligned with Ohio Learning Standards, with school hours 9:00 AM - 3:55 PM.
• Intermediate Education (Grades 5-6) Grades 5-6 intermediate education at E.H. Greene Intermediate School preparing students for junior high academics, with school hours 7:50 AM - 2:55 PM.
• Junior High Education (Grades 7-8) Grades 7-8 middle school education at Sycamore Junior High School supporting social-emotional development and preparation for high school, with school hours 8:10 AM - 3:15 PM.
• High School Education (Grades 9-12) Grades 9-12 high school education at Sycamore High School including college preparation, career readiness, 23 AP courses, dual credit opportunities, and 6 world languages, with school hours 7:20 AM - 2:20 PM.
• Summer School Programs District summer learning programs offering enrichment and credit recovery for grades K-12, with separate catalogs for K-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12, including the Greene 101 transition program for incoming 5th graders.
• Gifted Education Services Comprehensive gifted programming continuum with nearly 47% of students identified as gifted, including acceleration options (whole grade, individual subject, early entrance to kindergarten, early graduation) and a district gifted plan.
• Special Education Services Special education services for grades K-12 including Child Find, Section 504, restraint and seclusion policies, and parent mentor/resource coordination, directed by Director of Special Education (K-6) with districtwide supervisor.
• English Learners (ESOL) Services English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programming for English Learners, including identification, assessment (OELPS, OELPA), and English Language Plans, supported by an ESOL Teaching & Learning Coordinator and aligned with Ohio Department of Education & Workforce guidance.
• School Nutrition Services District-run child nutrition program providing breakfast and lunch meals with menus published via MySchoolMenus.com, free and reduced meal applications, food allergy management, and summer meals program, led by a Director of Child Nutrition.
• College and Career Readiness Program Career exposure programming partnering with 40+ local businesses to provide skill-building workshops, in-school seminars, one-day snapshots, week-long experiences, and in-depth career immersions, supported by the Executive Advisory Committee (EAC).

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 National Merit Semifinalists in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canvas by InstructurecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Canvas is the district-wide Learning Management System (LMS) implemented for all staff and students beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Provides online learning platform, parent observer accounts, and course management.
• 40+ Local Businesses and OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSycamore High School partners with more than 40 local businesses and organizations to provide students with meaningful career exposure through skill-building workshops, in-school seminars, one-day snapshots, week-long experiences, and in-depth career immersions. Goal is to help students explore professional fields and make informed post-secondary decisions.
• Sycamore Community Schools Executive Advisory Committee (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAC collaborates with district on workshops focused on resume writing, interview skills, and workplace etiquette. Provides business community input into career readiness programming.
• Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCESC operates Head Start Preschool at Symmes Elementary for children ages 3-5. The half-day sessions are taught by qualified early childhood teachers and include nutritious meals and snacks. Provides comprehensive services at no cost to qualifying families.
• Ohio Department of Children and YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that oversees Step Up To Quality rating system. Awarded Sycamore's Preschool Program the Gold Level Step Up To Quality Award, the highest recognition level.
• Help Me GrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio's early intervention program providing services to parents of eligible children under age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. District collaborates during transition meetings when children turn 3.
• 4C For ChildrenminorOthersChildcare referral service recommended to families for conducting independent searches for community preschool options outside district boundaries.
• Ohio Department of Education & WorkforcecoreOthersState regulatory agency providing guidance on English Learner identification, assessment (OELPS, OELPA), English Language Plans, and compliance with state mandates for ESOL programming.
• FinalsitecoreTechnology or IntegrationFinalsite provides the district's website platform (finalsite.net) powering the district's public-facing website with content management, calendars, and communications tools.
• Final FormscoreTechnology or IntegrationFinal Forms is the online enrollment and registration platform used by the district for new student registration, returning student updates, and annual form completion.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Loveland City School District: Cincinnati-area public K-12 district already referenced as a geographic neighbor (a Symmes Elementary address falls within Sycamore/Loveland territory); operates comparable programs and serves a similar suburban family base.
• Mariemont City School District: Small Cincinnati-area K-12 public district with strong academic outcomes and an arts-integrated identity; competes for high-engagement families in the eastern Cincinnati suburbs and offers a similar breadth of programming at smaller scale.
• Forest Hills School District: Large suburban Cincinnati public K-12 district serving a comparable mix of elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school students; comparable governance structure and operates in the same competitive labor market for teachers and administrators.
• Oak Hills Local School District: Large western Cincinnati suburban K-12 public district; comparable multi-school structure, similar property-tax funding model, and overlapping competition for families seeking mid-to-high performing suburban school options.
• Wyoming City School District: Highly-rated Cincinnati suburban K-12 district recognized for academic excellence; overlaps significantly with Sycamore in target demographic, programming breadth (gifted, world languages, AP), and competition for relocating families.
• Indian Hill School District: Affluent Cincinnati-area K-12 public district with a strong college-prep reputation; competes directly with Sycamore for high-achieving families in the eastern Cincinnati suburbs and shares similar demographic and academic profiles.
• Milford Exempted Village Schools: Northeast Cincinnati-area public K-12 district serving a mix of suburban and exurban communities; competes in the same eastern Cincinnati labor market for teachers and offers a similar comprehensive K-12 academic and extracurricular portfolio.
• Lakota Local School District: Large Butler County public K-12 district adjacent to Sycamore's footprint; serves a similar suburban demographic profile, offers K-12 programming including gifted services, and competes for families migrating between northern Cincinnati suburbs.
• Mason City School District: Suburban Cincinnati public K-12 school district of comparable size serving high-performing communities; directly competes with Sycamore for residential families and is consistently ranked among Ohio's top districts, making it the closest like-for-like benchmark.
• Princeton City School District: Suburban Cincinnati public K-12 district where Superintendent Chad Lewis previously served as a teacher; operates comparable grade-level structure and competes in the same regional talent pool for instruction and leadership staff.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSte160Qx-RfMilMb90DChQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/sycamoreschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sycamore-community-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/sycamore_schools
• Xx.com/SycamoreSchools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sycamore Community Schools