Court dismisses lawsuit against Sequoia Union High School District's closure of TIDE Academy

The suit was filed Feb. 13, and was dismissed by Northern California District Judge Trina Thompson. 

“Plaintiffs do not connect any advantages of necessity provided by TIDE which could not be replicated at other schools,” Thompson said in her ruling, Monday.

Jason Primuth, a representative of TIDE Rising, said in a statement parents are disappointed by the court’s decision. 

“It is clearly a setback,” Primuth said. “But the parents involved in this effort remain committed to seeking accountability and determining the appropriate next steps.”

The group has also filed a case claiming violations of the Brown Act with the California Superior Court, Primuth said. 

“Our goal has always been simple: Public schools should operate with transparency, fairness and integrity,” Primuth said. “We wish litigation were not necessary, but we believe these issues deserve full public scrutiny.”

The district’s Board of Trustees voted to close the small, alternative high school on Feb. 4, requiring the students to relocate into other schools within the district or transfer out. TIDE Academy opened in 2019. 

The closure process received significant opposition from parents and students who said TIDE Academy provided an educational community unlike anything that could be replicated at a larger school. 

“We respect the passion that TIDE parents have for their school, and we understand this has been a difficult process for all involved,” Superintendent Crystal Leach said in the press release. “The district, however, has a legal and governance responsibility to act in the best interests of all of its students, which includes sound financial stewardship. We are gratified that the court recognized the legal soundness of the board’s decision.” 

The reasons for the school closure include “program viability, fiscal sustainability, student experience, and feasibility within operational constraints,” the release said. 

TIDE Academy has been more expensive to operate, per-student, compared to the district’s four larger comprehensive high schools, resulting in an “unsustainable and inequitable allocation of resources across the district,” according to the release.