Yes for Sycamore

Why a YES makes sense for you

We won't pretend this is free. 6.95 mills is real money — about $243 a year per $100,000 of your home's value — and for some households that's a genuine sacrifice. Here's the honest case, whoever you are. We've also worked to keep it fair: Sycamore's school tax rate is below the Hamilton County average, this is the first operating levy since 2016, and seniors and disabled homeowners can lower their bill through Ohio's homestead exemption.

If you have kids in the schools

  • Your children's classrooms, teachers, and programs are what's on the line first — the district's own forecast shows the shortfall reaching classrooms without new revenue.
  • About 80% of an operating budget is people, so a gap this size means larger classes and fewer offerings, not abstract belt-tightening.
  • Turnout decides this: a "yes" only counts if you actually vote. Early and mail voting make it easy — see how to vote.

If you're an empty-nester or grandparent

  • You already know what a Sycamore education is worth — you or your children lived it.
  • Strong schools hold up your home's value. A district sliding into deficits and cuts drags every property in the community down with it.
  • The ask is modest and rare — the first operating levy in a decade, at a rate below the county average.

If you don't have kids yet (or won't)

  • The district's reputation is already priced into the home you bought. Protecting the schools protects that investment.
  • The buildings, fields, pools, theaters, and events are community infrastructure that everyone uses, kids or not.
  • At $243 a year per $100,000, it's a small hedge against a much larger hit to home values if a top-rated district starts to slip.

If you're a senior on a fixed income

  • We won't minimize this — property tax does affect fixed-income homeowners, and we respect that this is a real cost for you.
  • If you're 65 or older or permanently disabled and within income limits, Ohio's homestead exemption lowers your bill. Details are at the Hamilton County Auditor, and on our page on what it costs.
  • Sycamore's last operating levy lasted a full decade, and the district's rate stays below the county average. The value of the home you own depends on the schools staying strong.

If you rent

  • Property tax is billed to owners, so you don't pay this levy directly.
  • You use the same schools and benefit from the same strong community — and if you're registered in the district, your vote counts exactly the same as any homeowner's.
  • Turnout decides levies, and renters are often the margin. Your voice matters here.

Want to see the numbers behind all of this, or check your own cost?

Why this levy What it costs you Get involved