The District Board of Trustees convened for its monthly meeting on Wednesday. The Board heard updates about the plan for TIDE students’ and teachers’ transition to other schools in the District next year, a presentation concerning AI use in the classroom, and a policy revision that includes guidelines for teacher response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent activity on campus.
TIDE Transition
The first information item at the meeting was an update on TIDE Academy’s transition to Woodside and student and staff impressions of the other District schools.
The item began with public comment, during which TIDE community members expressed displeasure with the Board’s vote to close the school and disappointment in their ambiguity throughout the entire decision-making process.
TIDE parent Jason Primuth criticized the District for hiring a consultant to manage communications with TIDE community members. “When we heard on November 12th that TIDE might be shutting down, we presumed integrity and transparency,” Primuth said. While speaking, Primuth held up a photo to the Board of Heather McGowan, a consultant at McGowan Consulting LLC. The District employed her to formulate talking points, emails, and a timeline for the Board regarding TIDE’s closure. “Did they hire anybody to look for solutions to keep TIDE open? No, they did not,” Primuth added.
Anna Edoroba, another TIDE parent, indicated concern about the lack of information parents and students have received about the TIDE program at Woodside thus far. “At the meeting at Woodside High School last weekend, no one could answer our questions about the TIDE program,” Edoroba said. “Why has nothing been prepared in a whole month? Why is there not even a simple plan or a list of teachers who will be working on this program?”
After, Associate Superintendent Bonnie Hansen provided the Board with an update on the District’s procedure for relocating current TIDE staff. She mentioned that there will be no layoffs, and that all teachers will have the opportunity to transfer to other schools within the District.
According to Hansen, the District will first consider where there are departmental vacancies at each school, and place TIDE staff accordingly. However, staff with positions that are in lesser demand can opt to work at the District campus of their choice.
Next, Woodside Principal Karen Van Putten spoke about her interactions with TIDE students and staff since the Board voted to shift the program to Woodside’s campus. Van Putten stated that TIDE students have attended recent Woodside events, including their annual open house and the Walk-on-the-Wildside Event, which introduced TIDE students to the Woodside programs and community. “It was refreshing to speak with students and [learn] how we can support them,” she said.
Van Putten also visited the TIDE campus to learn more about its distinct programs and character. She assured the board that current TIDE programs, such as Career Technical Education (CTE) courses and dual enrollment opportunities, will persist following the transition to Woodside.
Following Van Putten’s presentation, TIDE Principal Simone Kennel discussed TIDE students’ experiences during this period of adjustment. Since hearing of their school’s closure, TIDE students have taken a number of trips to the other schools in the District so they can make informed decisions about their next steps. Kennel expressed gratitude to each school for accommodating and welcoming TIDE students.
Kennel reported that, though some students found the size of the other campuses staggering, many took an interest in other schools’ offerings. “‘I really love the programs,’ ‘I like what I saw.’ ‘Wow, this is a cool school, right?’ ‘I want to take this class,’ or ‘I could see myself here,’” she said, echoing students’ comments.
She also explained how Woodside will be able to cohort five to six classes for TIDE students, freshman through sophomore year. Seniors will continue to take cohort classes, however they will take fewer to grant more time in their schedule for elective courses.
After hearing each principal present, Trustee Richard Ginn asked how many students have made a school selection for the following year. Leach responded that the District is counting weekly, and that as of last Friday, the majority of students were transferring to M-A.
According to Leach, out of 198 students, including rising ninth graders who were intending on attending TIDE, 60 have filed paperwork to attend a District school. One student will attend Carlmont, five will attend East Palo Alto Academy, nine will attend Woodside, 12 will attend Sequoia, and 33 will attend M-A.
Ginn then asked about how many students the Woodside administration anticipates will constitute a cohort. Van Putten replied that she is unsure of a specific number, but that she could guarantee that there will be TIDE-like programs and cohort classes at Woodside available to both TIDE and Woodside students.
Presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Barbara Reklis, the District’s Director of Instructional Technology, provided the Board with a presentation on AI use in classrooms.
Reklis began by explaining that, given its development rate and growing popularity, AI use is inevitable. She advised that students and staff learn how to responsibly use it, and stated that it is ultimately the District’s responsibility to “provide resources and to prepare students for a future with AI.”
Reklis then described professional development sessions held by the District that focused on AI. At the development sessions, staff explored language-based AI for teaching and learning, the tension between “authentic work and responsible AI use,” how AI can generate informative feedback, how it can be used in each respective subject, and how it can promote student discourse.
Reklis ultimately recommended that the District adopt the AI tool MagicSchool, which provides lesson planning and grading support to teachers and feedback, concept explanation, and studying support for students.
The District piloted MagicSchool from August to November of 2025. 297 teachers used MagicSchool to produce and refine instructional materials. Reklis mentioned that overall, teachers commended MagicSchool for its versatility and ease of use.
Reklis concluded her presentation by recommending that the District “establish guardrails to encourage safe and responsible AI use for students and staff.” She described how this year, the District will devise policy regarding AI use for the Board to approve, and that such policies will take into account the California Department of Education’s guidance. She stated that a working group will be launched soon to conduct research and formulate policy. In the spring, the group will begin recruitment, data gathering, and receive input from community members. By fall, the group will have policies prepared for the District to adopt.
Reklis’ presentation was followed by a Q&A session with the Board. Trustee Mary Beth Thompson expressed interest in the working group and its process, believing it will benefit the District to receive input from community members due to the District’s location in Silicon Valley.
Ginn requested more information on how AI policy will be formed and adopted, and whether there is a standard policy currently being adopted in other Districts. Reklis replied that there is no California School Board Association policy on AI, so it is up to the District to conceive its own policies.
Ginn mentioned that the District can also mimic the guidelines of other districts, as he understands that AI use in the classroom is unavoidable. “We can learn from others, but be fast followers in adopting,” he said.
Finally, Thompson and Ginn expressed concern about MagicSchool’s potential to misuse student data. Reklis assured the Board that since MagicSchool was designed for education, it satisfies federal rules and regulations for data privacy.
Reading of Revised Board Policy on ICE Activity on Campus
The Board first heard public comment before reading the revised policy on how staff should react if ICE apprehends a student.
During public comment, Edith Salvatore, the President of the Sequoia District Teacher’s Association, requested that the Board deletes a paragraph of the updated policy that mentions that “District staff shall not obstruct, interfere with, or otherwise impede, any officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement, even if the officer or employe appears to be acting outside the law or in excess of the stated or documented authorization.”
Salvatore acknowledged that eliminating that paragraph is likely a difficult decision, since the California School Boards Association recommends that the District embrace the entire policy. However, she believes many teachers would compulsively interfere if a student were apprehended. “Will I be able to soothe my guilt that I was just following orders?” Salvatore asked when describing a possible scenario where a child is taken from the classroom by ICE agents.
Afterward, Bonnie Hansen reviewed the entire revised policy to the Board and recommended that they adopt the entire policy with an omitted sentence from the paragraph that Salvatore disapproved of. “They had a sentence that I’m not recommending. Since it’s new, I just can not recommend it. It says, ‘You will obey what the officer tells you to do,’ and we took that out. Because there are times where that felt a little strong,” Hansen said.
Hansen advised the Board to adopt the policy, regardless of whether they agree on its merits. “I think that they [teachers] should know that in our board policy. Whether we agree with it or not, I think that the teachers should know what the repercussions of interfering could be.”
The Board revealed that they were unsettled by the policy, as it effectively prevents teachers from safeguarding children in dangerous and potentially illegal situations. “I’m really struggling with it, because it is our job to pay attention to what’s happening, and to protect our children,” Thompson said. “I get an icky feeling because it feels like we’re condoning it,” she said.
Bonnie Hansen reminded the Board that they would need to take action at the next meeting on March 18 because the policy is set to roll out in April. The Board ultimately decided to turn the policy into an action item for approval at the next meeting so they could have more time to discuss and consider it.
The Board will convene again on Wednesday, March 18.
