What’s Going On
The Sequoia Union High School District is moving forward with a process that could lead to the closure of TIDE Academy (150 Jefferson Dr, Menlo Park, CA 94025), a small public STEM high school in Menlo Park. Across California and the Bay Area, districts are increasingly proposing to close or merge smaller schools in response to budget and enrollment pressures, and TIDE now risks becoming part of that broader trend. This decision would impact hundreds of students across the district — especially those who came to TIDE because large, crowded high schools did not work for them. Many kids and families are in shock. For neurodivergent students, kids with anxiety, English learners, and others who need a calmer, more friendly environment, TIDE is one of the few places where they feel safe, supported, and able to learn, and closures like this mean there are fewer and fewer public options for students who cannot thrive in big schools.
We are asking for your help to keep this school open.
On November 12, 2025, the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) Board directed the Superintendent to begin a formal process that could result in closing TIDE Academy for “budget reasons.” Families learned about this only very recently. So far, the district has not shared complete financial data or a clear public explanation of why closing a successful, bond-funded school is necessary. Parents are submitting California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests and reviewing official documents from the district and the County Office of Education to understand what is really happening.
On November 19, 2025, dozens of parents, students, alumni, and teachers packed the TIDE Academy cafeteria for a community “listening session” with Superintendent Crystal Leach. The room was standing-room only as families asked why a small, inclusive public school that is working for vulnerable students is being considered for closure, and why this is happening with so little data shared. A remote meeting was held the following day, and many of the same concerns were raised again. Families left the meeting without any clear answers to their questions about data, process, or alternatives to closure.
At the same time, the community response has been immediate and strong. Within just a few days, a petition to keep TIDE open gathered more than a thousand signatures. As of December 15, 2025, the petition had 1,666 signatures, showing how many families and community members are deeply concerned about transparency, equity, and the long-term impact on students who rely on a smaller, inclusive public high school.
That momentum carried into the December 10, 2025 school board meeting, where the TIDE community showed up in force. The meeting was standing-room only, with more than 100 parents, students, and staff in attendance, and more than 50 speakers during public comment. Families shared both personal stories and data about what would be lost if TIDE closes. The district stated that no final decision has been made, but confirmed it is moving forward with a formal timeline toward a February 4, 2026 board meeting, when the superintendent is expected to bring a recommendation.
Jan 13, 2026 — Community meeting (Data & Information Meeting #1)
On January 13, 2026, the district held the first online “TIDE Data and Information – Part 1” meeting over Zoom. Staff walked through a polished slide deck with high‑level numbers on enrollment, projected enrollment, and per‑student spending at TIDE versus the district’s larger comprehensive high schools, but families could not speak directly because chat and live comments were disabled. Parents were troubled that the presentation treated TIDE like a “too small” version of a big school instead of an intentionally small program serving more students with disabilities and higher needs, and that there was no real opportunity to push back on how the statistics were framed.
Jan 15, 2026 — Community meeting (Data & Information Meeting #2)
On January 15, 2026, the district hosted a second online “Data & Information – Part 2” meeting focused even more on demographics and comparison charts. Staff highlighted TIDE’s size, gender balance, and the claim that TIDE is “less diverse” than some larger schools, again using dashboards that make a small school look abnormal simply because its student body is concentrated in a few groups. As with the first meeting, families watched a one‑way presentation with no live public comment, could only submit questions through a form, and left feeling that important context was missing and that the data was being used to justify a decision instead of honestly exploring how to keep a successful small school open.
Jan 26, 2026 — Board Study Session (SUHSD Board of Trustees)
On January 26, 2026, the Sequoia Union High School District Board held a special Board Study Session at Sequoia High School’s Carrington Hall that ran for nearly five hours, from 6 p.m. to almost 11 p.m. Trustees and staff sat around a conference table going through dense slide decks on enrollment, “diversity,” and cost comparisons between TIDE and much larger high schools, while community members watched from the audience and were only allowed to speak at the very end.
We are deeply grateful to the many TIDE students, parents, and staff who stayed until late at night to be heard — their stamina and solidarity made it clear how much this school matters. Once again, families felt overwhelmed by volume of statistics that compared a deliberately small school to comprehensive campuses, and left the meeting without any clear, fair explanation of why TIDE should be closed instead of supported.
Upcoming (district stated next steps)
Feb 4, 2026 — Special Board Meeting with Superintendent’s recommendation ()
On February 4, 2026, the district has scheduled a special board meeting where Superintendent Crystal Leach is expected to present a formal recommendation on TIDE Academy’s future. The board will review the January data presentations and community feedback before voting on whether to close TIDE, move its programs, or direct staff to bring back additional options; public comment will be taken before any decision.
After Feb 4, 2026
Follow up communications outlining next steps
Also, the Sequoia Union High School District has created a “TIDE Academy Process and Plan” page to collect all of its official information about the possible closure of TIDE. This page brings together a summary of actions to date, the district’s timeline, slides and recordings from the January 13 and 15 community data meetings, the January 26 Board Study Session, and the planned February 4 special board meeting. It also includes FAQs, written recaps of earlier November listening sessions, and a form where families can submit questions and comments about the district’s review of TIDE Academy.