Trustees open formal review of TIDE Academy after hours of public comment; superintendent to present detailed data in January

Sequoia Union High School District trustees on Dec. 10 opened a formal process to evaluate whether to close TIDE Academy but did not make a decision, following hours of public comment from students, parents, teachers and community members who urged the district to keep the small school open.

The superintendent, Christine Leach, told the board she was following a subcommittee request to assemble a transparent review process that includes enrollment and demographic analysis, program and facilities impacts, and fiscal modeling. Leach said the district’s preliminary figures show TIDE’s per‑pupil spending is about $39,000 compared with a district average near $22,000 and that current enrollment at TIDE is roughly 195 students. She proposed community meetings and a special study session in January, with a superintendent recommendation to the board in early February.

Community members repeatedly told the trustees that TIDE serves disproportionate shares of Latinx, low‑income and neurodiverse students, and that its small size and programs produce strong outcomes. “Please do not move forward with this process,” a parent urged during public comment, arguing the discussion itself depresses enrollment and undermines community trust. Multiple speakers cited TIDE’s 100% graduation rate for recent cohorts, dual‑enrollment pathways with Foothill College, and nearly universal completion of CTE pathways as reasons the program should be preserved.

Board members pressed staff for more detailed comparisons. Several trustees said a fair accounting must adjust cost comparisons for the share of students with individualized education plans, English learners and other higher‑need populations. Trustee Giddens emphasized that the board requested a process, not a preordained decision: “No decision has been made,” Giddens said, calling the current phase information‑gathering and community engagement.

Trustee Marybeth Thompson addressed questions about a potential conflict of interest; she said she has no legal conflict and that, under state law, she would be required to participate in the review and vote unless a demonstrable conflict existed.

Community speakers flagged potential equity and legal risks if the district closes a school that disproportionately serves marginalized students; one parent pointed to an Oakland precedent where civil‑rights groups filed complaints after small‑school closures. Teachers and paraeducators described TIDE’s wellness center, advisory model and high staff‑to‑student ratios as essential supports that would be difficult to replicate at larger campuses.

Superintendent Leach and trustees said they would present more detailed, disaggregated data at the January meetings, comparing TIDE to other individual sites and modeling options such as changing staffing ratios, holding TIDE as a 10–12 program, or identifying other cost‑reduction strategies. The board signaled openness to multiple options rather than a simple keep-or-close vote.

Next steps: the district will hold community and staff meetings in January, present demographic and financial analyses at a January study session, and the superintendent plans to return to the board with a recommendation in early February. The board did not take formal action to close TIDE at tonight’s meeting.