The District Board of Trustees convened for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Community members voiced their opposition to the closure of TIDE academy during public comment, Superintendent Crystal Leach presented her plan on looking into the closure and the Board heard the fiscal report from the last three months.
TIDE Comments
The boardroom overflowed with students, parents, and staff, all demonstrating their support for TIDE Academy with signs and matching T-shirts reading “Keep it 100 for TIDE.”
The crowd of TIDE supporters was prompted by the Nov. 12 board meeting where trustees Mary Beth Thompson and Rich Ginn proposed the possible closure of TIDE, requesting that the Board discuss it at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Before public comment, Secretary to the IVP Adrian Perkins spoke on behalf of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a national union of public service employees who advocate for their benefits and pay. Perkins explained that TIDE fills a role that larger schools cannot, where teachers and students form personal connections and foster a safe and accepting environment.
“When we closed the door on a school like TIDE, we closed the door on our District,” Perkins said. “Why do we close that door? Why don’t we find a way to show up for our students? Because guess what: they are watching us right now, and the way that we all respond.” She urged the Board to listen to the families who speak, and explained that by working together, the Board and the community could figure something out.
Although public comment is typically limited to two to three minutes per person, due to the large number of individuals who wanted to comment, the Board granted 49 commenters only one minute each.
Several TIDE community members claimed a potential school closure would disproportionately harm students of color. Just under 70% of TIDE’s student body identifies as a person of color, and 59.6% identify as Hispanic. Community members argued that students of color benefit from smaller class sizes and more attention from teachers, and that scattering these students across larger District schools could have detrimental effects on their education.
Kat Cole, a founding teacher at TIDE, explained that the school was created to address inequities. “Approximately 50% of our students live in either East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or North Fair Oaks. These are communities that have, as a result of redlining, historically experienced the highest disparities in educational outcomes,” Cole said. “Part of the vision of TIDE is to disrupt historic patterns and draw students across the 101 freeway from west to east instead of east to west.”
Other commenters mentioned how TIDE’s large population of students with individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 plans impacts TIDE’s per-student spending.
At the last board meeting, Thompson and Ginn reported that, because TIDE has a small student population, the school requires a disproportionate amount of resources to operate over time. The proposal to consider closing the school was prompted by the 2024-25 School Accountability Report Card (SARC), which reported that approximately $39,000 is spent per student at TIDE, compared to an average of $22,467 per student at the District’s other high schools.
Karen Cortez, TIDE’s special education department chair, said TIDE’s costs reflect its large student population with learning and intellectual disabilities. “24% of our students have IEPs and 17% have 504 plans, nearly half of our students,” Cortez said. “Our per-pupil spending may look disproportionate, but it aligns directly with the needs of our students. Cost-per-pupil rises with the percentage of students with IEPs at each site.”
TIDE senior Jesus Chavez shared his personal journey from a shy freshman to student body president and editor-in-chief of TIDE’s newspaper, the Astronaut Inquirer. “Before TIDE, I was failing classes in middle school, struggling silently with drugs, depression, and a lack of direction. But here, my teachers saw potential I didn’t. Their consistency gave me confidence for the first time. TIDE became my salvation,” Chavez said. “Is saving money worth risking the futures of the students who depend on the school?” he asked. “TIDE didn’t just educate me. TIDE changed my life.”
Commenters also raised concerns about timing, saying eighth graders considering TIDE could be deterred by news of a possible closure, ultimately affecting future enrollment.
TIDE Academy Evaluation Process and Plan
Following public comment, Leach explained that the Board’s review of TIDE Academy’s future is part of a broader effort to manage resources and maintain sustainability across school sites.
Leach clarified that the District is planning on collecting more specific information to look at in January, assuring that the decision on TIDE’s closure has not been made by the Board yet. She also invited the community to help identify ways to improve TIDE’s sustainability.
Leach provided background on what actions had already been taken surrounding the discussion of the school’s closure. At the board meeting on Nov. 12, Thompson and Ginn gave a report on the District’s fiscal health, recommending that the superintendent outline a plan to discuss the possible closure of TIDE at the next board meeting.
After the Nov. 12 meeting, the District sent out emails to staff, union representatives, and families of TIDE summarizing the action and inviting them to meetings with the Board. These meetings took place throughout November. Leach summarized key themes she had heard at this week’s board meeting, mentioning questions raised about the impact of closing, financial data, and concern for the process and its timing.
Leach also described the planned actions that will take place in the upcoming year. In January, the Board will hold community meetings where data collected up until then will be shared and available to the public. On Jan. 26, a Board study session will be held where financial and enrollment data will be presented. Then On Feb. 4, a special board meeting will be held where Leach will present her recommendation.
“The District seeks to ensure that all decisions are guided by transparent criteria, student-centered values, and a commitment to both education quality and long-term sustainability,” Leach said, concluding her presentation.
Interim Fiscal Report
Assistant Superintendent Christine Gong and District Director of Business Services Vinita Singh presented information about District finances during the last interim, which spanned October to December.
Gong explained that during the first interim in October, the District adjusted property tax revenues, added carryover funds from the previous year, and updated salary and benefit costs based on new hires and their schedules. The District also modified base expenditures to reflect the actuals from the previous year.
Next, Gong described the planning factors that were involved in the making of the budget, including enrollment, federal grants, property taxes, and Consumer Price Index.
Singh followed Gong, presenting on trends in District revenue from property taxes. In the past interim, the revenue from property taxes increased by $2.6 million.
Gong then presented an overview of the major adjustments of the most recent interim, listing both changes in revenues and expenditures. According to Gong, there was a $4.5 million increase in state funds and a $59,000 decrease in federal funds, both of which impacted District revenue. The previous interim included $1.5 million spent on salaries and benefits—excluding the amount that will be spent on the staff raises the SDTA negotiated for—and $3.8 million carried over from last year’s revenue.
Gong and Singh concluded their presentation by providing projections for future years’ budgets. With $6.1 million worth of deficit spending, the District anticipates ending the school year with a balance of $49 million—a figure that does not include the $5.2 million that will be spent on salary increases. Next year, the District expects to add $3.2 million to its debt and end with a $45 million balance.
The Board will convene again on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
