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Copy of Important Update from the Superintendent Regarding TIDE Academy
Dear Board, Crystal, Cabinet and Simone,
This communication was just sent via ParentSquare to TIDE parents and the list of prospective parents.
Best,
Naomi
Dear TIDE Academy Families,
I am writing to follow up on a discussion and direction taken at tonight's Sequoia Union High School District Board meeting related to TIDE Academy and to explain what it means for your student and for the TIDE community.
At the November 12 Board meeting, a Board Committee reported on its review of enrollment, program offerings, and the long-term fiscal health of the District. This work builds on several years of examining the District's structural deficit and monitoring enrollment throughout the district as part of a broader review of how our resources are being used to support students and sustain programs.
After this report, the Board directed me, as Superintendent, to develop a plan for how the District would discuss a possible closure of TIDE Academy. That plan is scheduled to be shared at the Board meeting on December 10.
I want to be very clear about what this does--and does not--mean:
- The Board did not vote to close TIDE Academy tonight.
- The Board's action was to ask for a clear, transparent process for discussing and considering that possibility, including how families, students, and staff will be informed and involved before any decision is made.
The Board is looking closely at how we use resources across the District, given our structural deficit and the need to plan for the long term. One concern they have raised is that, because TIDE is such a small school, keeping it open at its current size means making tradeoffs that, over time, leave TIDE students with fewer classes, electives, and program options than we could provide if resources were better aligned across the District.
At the same time, we fully understand that TIDE is a special community, and that even talking about the possibility of closure is upsetting and unsettling. As educators and leaders, we do not want to close a school. We know that schools hold relationships, memories, and daily routines for students and families, and we do not take that impact lightly.
Our commitment is to:
- Keep students at the center of every conversation.
- Communicate honestly and in a timely way.
- Provide meaningful opportunities for families and students to be heard.
- Share clearly what information the Board is using as it deliberates.
As an important first step in that commitment, we will be holding two meetings specifically for TIDE Academy families on the following dates:
Date: Wednesday, November 19
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Location: TIDE Academy Cafeteria, 150 Jefferson Dr, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Date: Thursday, November 20
Time: 7-8 p.m.
Location: Zoom
At these meetings, we will:
- Share more detail about the context discussed at the November 12 Board meeting;
- Describe the initial process and timeline the District is developing;
- Invite your questions, concerns, and suggestions; and
- Use your input to help shape the process that I will be presenting to the Board on December 10.
We hope you will make every effort to attend one of these TIDE-only meetings, as it is a key opportunity for you to be heard early in the process.
At the December 10 Board meeting, I will share a process and timeline for how the District would discuss and consider the future of TIDE Academy, including additional opportunities for community input. This will not be the final decision; it will be the discussion of how we move forward in a thoughtful and student-centered way.
We invite you to attend or watch that meeting:
Board Meeting -- Process for TIDE Academy
Date: Wednesday, December 10
Time: 6:00 p.m.
In a few days we will send additional information to TIDE families about:
- How and when you can participate in community meetings.
- What information will be shared with the Board as it considers its options.
- How we will support students and families emotionally and academically through this conversation.
In the meantime, if you have questions or need support, please feel free to reach out to TIDE Academy Principal Simone Rick-Kennel, or to my office directly. We may not have answers to every question yet, but we will do our best to be honest about what we know now and what we are still working to determine.
Thank you for your partnership and for the trust you place in us to educate and care for your students. I know this news is difficult and may be painful to hear, and I want you to know that we are committed to handling this conversation with care, respect, and as much clarity as possible.
Sincerely,
Crystal Leach
Superintendent
Sequoia Union High School District
cleach@seq.org
