Thank you to everyone who came to support TIDE, in person and online!

Thank you to the brave and brilliant students, and to the parents, teachers, and staff who spoke up. We had more than 50 speakers. The room felt warm, united, and deeply supportive of this school. 

Here’s the prepared TIDE Rising Steering Committee speech from this meeting, with our key questions, data points, and requests for transparency.

We were listened to, but we are not yet sure we were truly heard. 

On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the SUHSD board meeting was standing room only, with more than 100 people from the TIDE community showing up to speak for our school. One after another, families and students shared real stories: what it’s like to finally feel safe at school, to be known by name, to have teachers who notice when a student is struggling, and to have a place where neurodiverse and vulnerable kids can actually make progress.

Speakers didn’t just bring emotion, they brought facts. Many talked about what TIDE makes possible for students who struggled in larger settings, including kids with anxiety, ADHD, autism, learning differences, and students who simply need a smaller, steadier environment to succeed. One parent shared that TIDE serves a high number of students with IEPs and 504 plans, and stated that graduation for TIDE students with IEPs/504s is 100%, compared with a district average of 80%. Others highlighted that state data shows 22% of TIDE’s students have a reported disability, and described how the school’s small, predictable campus and close relationships are exactly why many of these students finally make progress.

The district also presented numbers it says are driving the conversation, including spending of about $39,000 per student at TIDE compared to an average of $22,467 at the district’s other schools. However, the district did not explain how these figures were calculated—what data sources were used, what costs were included, or how the per-student totals were derived—especially given that TIDE serves a higher percentage of students with IEPs and 504 plans, which can significantly affect staffing and support needs. Superintendent Leach shared current enrollment as 195 students (63 freshmen, 56 sophomores, 56 sophomores, 29 juniors, 47 seniors) and noted that some classes have as few as 4–6 students.

At the same time, many families stressed that TIDE is still a young school that has been building year by year, starting small and growing as new grades were added. Parents said enrollment has been trending upward annually and was expected to be even stronger this year, but they worry the district’s public use of the word “closure” is now undermining recruitment. With enrollment season ending on Feb. 1 and the district planning to make a decision on Feb. 4, families fear many prospective students will choose another option rather than take the risk.

Still, the mood in the room was heavy. Many of us left feeling like we were listened to, but not truly heard. The district repeated that no final decision has been made, but it also laid out a timeline that keeps moving forward. And when so many people came ready to speak, the board reduced comments to one minute, cutting microphones at the 60-second mark even as people tried to finish.

We showed up because TIDE is working for our kids and because a conversation should start with how to fix problems, not how to close a school. The decision may not be final yet, but the process is still moving, and we are going to keep showing up.

Below are the district’s stated next steps:

January 2026

• Jan 13 and Jan 15: Community meetings; summary of community input
  
  

• Jan 26: Board Study Session
  
  

February 2026

• Feb 4: Special Board Meeting with the Superintendent’s recommendation; follow-up communications outlining next steps