Same need, more money: Sycamore spends $3.3 million a year more than its peers on special education and student support

1 · Where the money goes

47% of Sycamore's $106 million operating budget reaches regular classrooms

Special education, English learners, preschool and student support take 25%.

2 · What's growing

Since 2016, special instruction spending rose 71%; classroom spending rose with inflation

Part of the rise reflects a 56% increase in students in the highest-cost disability category (autism, brain injury, deaf-blindness).

3 · Is it need?

Sycamore's disability needs are average for its peers. It spends $592 more per student on special education and support.

Sycamore's disability need ranks 11th of 23, mid-pack, and grew more slowly than its peers' since 2016. Its spending above what peers spend at that need ranks 3rd.

The spending includes English-learner teaching; Sycamore's extra ESL teachers account for about $1.6 million of the gap.

4 · Line by line

That extra spending on special education and support comes partly out of classrooms

Sycamore's total spending is only $210 per student above its peers. It pays for the extra on special education and support by spending less than peers on regular classrooms ($171 per student), buildings ($260) and sports ($165).

5 · Staffing

Sycamore spends less on classrooms yet employs more teachers, mostly at the high school and in ESL

The high school has 17 more classroom teachers than peer high schools, and Sycamore has about 14 more English-learner teachers and 8 more therapists and psychologists; together those account for most of the gap in section 3. More teachers on a smaller classroom budget means each one costs less, which is the pay question.

6 · Pay

Sycamore's teachers cost less because they are newer: its pay scale ranks 6th of 23

The average salary looks low mainly because 29% of staff were hired in the last four years.

7 · The forecast · our estimate

The levy forecast assumes cost growth slows. At recent rates, Sycamore is back for more in 2031, not 2033.

The district assumes spending grows 3.5% a year after 2030. Special instruction grew 6.3% a year and administration 7.7% over the last three years; if each kept its pace, those costs would become a bigger share of the budget and push total growth above 4%.

Appendix · The comparison group

How the 22 peers were chosen

We started from the Ohio report card's 2026 list of districts most similar to Sycamore, added districts whose own lists name Sycamore, and kept those within 20% of Sycamore's revenue per student. Mariemont and Kings are on neither state list.

• CincinnatiMason, Forest Hills, Loveland, Madeira, Wyoming
• ColumbusDublin, Olentangy, New Albany, Worthington, Upper Arlington, Bexley
• ClevelandSolon, Hudson, Westlake, Avon, Avon Lake, Aurora, Brecksville
• DaytonCenterville, Beavercreek, Oakwood
• ToledoPerrysburg

Full list below: every district on Sycamore's state list or naming Sycamore on its own, plus Mariemont and Kings. "State list" shows whether the district is on Sycamore's list, names Sycamore on its own (theirs), or both. Below the line: gray fails the revenue rule, blue is on neither list, brown qualifies but its audit is too coarse to compare.