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Board committee asks superintendent to develop process to consider possible Tide Academy closure
Summary
Trustees said Tide Academy’s small enrollment and disproportionate costs prompted a committee recommendation asking the superintendent to present a stakeholder-engagement plan and timeline so the board can consider whether to close the school after the academic year, with a request to return a plan at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Two trustees on a board committee reported Wednesday that enrollment trends and the costs of operating very small schools led the committee to request a formal process from the superintendent to consider whether Tide Academy should close after the current school year.
Trustee Gin and Trustee Coup said their committee examined long-term fiscal health, enrollment projections and program offerings and concluded that Tide Academy’s small size requires a disproportionate share of district resources, which can limit course and program options for students. The trustees asked the superintendent to prepare a proposed process that lays out how and when the district will communicate with students, families and staff; what data and analyses the board will review; and how the public will be engaged.
"No one on the board wants to close a school," Trustee Gin said, adding that the recommendation is about fulfilling a fiduciary duty to assess sustainability and ensure equitable programs across the district. The trustees requested the superintendent present a proposed process at the Dec. 10 meeting and to design the timeline so the board could make a decision by the end of February about whether Tide would remain open after the academic year.
The board did not take action to close the school; the request was for a process to enable informed discussion and public engagement before any decision.
