Anyone planning to sign up for public comment at a Sycamore Community Schools board meeting this fall will need to use a new website.
The district announced Aug. 4 that it has moved all Board of Education information from BoardDocs to a new platform called Diligent Community. T
he change comes nine days before the first day of school on Aug. 13 and three months before voters across Montgomery, Blue Ash, Sycamore Township, Evendale, Symmes Township and Loveland decide on a 6.95-mill operating levy.
Diligent, the parent company behind BoardDocs, is retiring that older product and migrating customers to the updated system. The switch is not unique to Sycamore; districts across the country are making the same move.
What the new portal does
Through Diligent Community, residents can:
- View board meeting agendas and minutes
- Read district policy documents
- Check the meeting schedule
- Sign up online to deliver public comment at an upcoming meeting
- Subscribe to email notifications about future meetings
It is also accessible through the Board of Education page at sycamoreschools.org. Historical agendas and minutes from before the switch remain available on a separate "Past Meeting Agendas & Minutes" page on the district site.
Why it matters now
Board President Victor Harris, Vice President Dr. Adrienne C. James and members Paul Balent, Sara Bitter and Will Gosnell face a busy stretch. The 6.95-mill levy, placed on the Nov. 3 ballot through board resolutions in May and June, would cost homeowners an estimated $243 per year per $100,000 of home value, according to Hamilton County Board of Elections records. Public comment periods at board meetings are one of the few direct channels residents have to question district leaders about spending plans.
Residents who previously bookmarked BoardDocs links should update them. The Diligent Community portal is the only place current agendas and public-comment sign-ups will appear going forward.
