This story was first published by the Daily Post on Feb. 6. If you want to read important local news stories first, pick up the Daily Post in the mornings at 1,000 Mid-Peninsula locations. And don’t support publications that plagiarize our work.
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
Parents of students at the TIDE Academy magnet school are asking a judge to stop the Sequoia Union High School District from closing the school at 150 Jefferson Drive in Menlo Park.
Parents allege in the federal court suit that the district is discriminating against children with disabilities by closing TIDE. The district’s school board voted unanimously Feb. 4 to close TIDE due to a tight budget.
“Closing TIDE disproportionately burdens the disabled community,” the suit states.
The Sequoia Union High School District did not respond to the Post’s request for comment on the lawsuit.
Parents, represented by Jay Jambeck of the Leigh Law Group, filed the suit on Jan. 30 after Superintendent Crystal Leach suggested Jan. 26 that the district move TIDE students to Woodside High School. If TIDE did not close, the shortfall in funds would result in teacher layoffs in the future, Leach said.
TIDE costs $39,169 per student compared to $23,153 at Woodside, according to Leach. This year, TIDE is expected to cost $8.5 million.
The suit claims the district has shown a pattern of failing to accommodate students with IEPs or 504 plans, an individualized education program, at larger schools. The district can not close TIDE because it would be akin to demolishing a wheelchair ramp, the suit states.
Parents also allege the district slow-walked public records requests made Nov. 16 and 20 to determine how closing TIDE would financially benefit the district, the suit states.
The suit says the plaintiffs suspect that the district has decided to lease the building at 150 Jefferson Drive in Menlo Park. The district said Feb. 4 that it will decide at a future meeting what to do with the vacant building.
Parents used the funds they raised for student pizza parties to file the lawsuit, according to parent Jason Primuth. Parents have raised more than $10,000 and are committed to seeing it through, he said.
I commend you all and I will assure to help you all with all my lawyers who do not believe in discrimination and corruption.
Serves the school board right. They let anti-Semitic thugs chase the Jewish kids out of the district and now they’re getting sued for abandoning a charter school. Karma!
Normally parents are a part of the IEP team. SUHSD is essentially changing the students’ placement without regard to their individualized ‘Least Restricted Environment’ agreement, or removing them from Inclusive classroom in a predetermined manner. Parents don’t get to pick school placement per se, however the PROCESS that SUHSD set up to fast-forward a closure vote before voters in the district might become aware of its action was flawed and very problematic. TIDE is a public school, not a charter school like Summit Prep (Mary Beth Thompson’s work experience; Summit schools have been known to close suddenly). Thompson’s current employer Crystal Springs Uplands draws from the same population of students as TIDE, so they benefit when SUHSD programs close and there are fewer viable public school options. That’s just scratching the surface of looking for answers to the question of How Did This Happen? If you see a recall petition going around for any or all of the current Board members, please sign it!