Parents criticize district email as TIDE transition to Woodside sparks confusion and recall threats

Board members faced sharp public criticism Wednesday after an open‑enrollment email about Tide Academy (TIDE) reached families through an unusual channel and did not plainly reflect the board’s recent vote to relocate elements of TIDE to Woodside High School.

At public comment, Rebecca, a TIDE parent, said the message—from a Jared Dooley and delivered outside the district’s usual ParentSquare channel—failed to list Woodside as an option and appeared to contradict the board’s action. “Last week, you voted to change the lives of 200 students,” she said. “This message is not aligned with the board’s vote last week. Have the trustees seen this email? Who wrote it? Who authorized it?”

Multiple other parents and staff made similar complaints. Mary Jean Leonard said the email’s omission depressed prospective enrollment because it was delivered to “Parent 2” accounts rather than the usual contact, leaving many families unaware of the option to select TIDE at Woodside. “That email assumes everyone is keeping up with every detail of last week’s board decision,” she said. Several speakers said the mishandled communication risked harming students who rely on clear program and transportation information.

Superintendent Leach told the board he was investigating why the message went to Parent 2 and confirmed the district had followed its standard open‑enrollment procedure. “TIDE is a school of choice,” Leach said. “We are reopening and extending the open‑enrollment process until March 9 for current TIDE students and incoming ninth graders who selected TIDE. Current TIDE students and students who originally applied to TIDE as incoming ninth graders will automatically be enrolled at the TIDE at Woodside High School if Woodside High School is selected on the open‑enrollment form.”

Leach said staff would convene principals and counselors (including Simone McKinnell and Karen Van Putten) to develop a shared description of CTE courses and dual‑enrollment pathways and to produce clarifying communications. He also identified a plan for Woodside to host outreach events, including a February 28 “Walk on the Wild Side” event for TIDE students and families.

Several parents demanded clearer commitments on whether teachers and dual‑enrollment offerings would move with a cohorted group of students. Leach said staffing decisions will depend on the number of students who elect to enroll at Woodside: “The number of students that migrate to Woodside will still be cohorted together, but the amount of staff that goes with them potentially could change depending on the number of students that decide to enroll at Woodside.”

Some public commenters escalated the tone beyond procedural criticism. Johanna Mahal accused board members of “criminal activities” and said she planned a public recall of trustees, while other speakers warned of harm to students’ mental health if communications and transition planning did not improve.

Board members pressed staff to resend or correct the email, to provide weekly updates given the tight timeline to March 9, and to present a draft of program details after the principals/counselors meeting. The board did not take additional formal action on the relocation at the meeting beyond these directions.

What happens next: district staff said they will investigate the email distribution error, issue clarified communications to families, hold a principals/counselors meeting to draft program details, and host outreach events ahead of the March 9 open‑enrollment deadline.