PACIFIC PALISADES—On Monday, January 13, many students in the Los Angeles County Unified School District (LAUSD) previously evacuated, returned to school. LAUSD has close to 430,000 students enrolled in school, some of whom come from schools with significant fire damage and will not be returning to school anytime soon.
LAUSD Superintendent, Alberto M. Carvalho made the following statement in a January 13 press release. The full text may be found on the LAUSD website.
“It was poignant seeing many of our students and employees return to school. The resilience of our students, families, and employees has been inspiring. While we continue to address the impact of wildfires our focus remains on providing a safe and supporting learning environment. We deeply appreciate our dedicated employees, including our classified and certificated substitutes, for your unwavering commitment to students under these extraordinary circumstances.”
The following schools remain closed due to mandatory evacuation orders; Canyon Charter Elementary, Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary, Marquez Charter Elementary, Topanga Charter Elementary, Lanai Road Elementary, Roscomare Road Elementary, Community Magnet Charter, and Paul Revere Middle School. Updates may also be found on the District/School websites.
In addition, the district will have additional resources to aid students and teachers as they transition back to school. Due to a shortage of teachers, Substitute teachers are encouraged to fill in where they are needed most.
“As Los Angeles Unified moves forward, plans for rebuilding Palisades Charter Elementary and Marquez Charter Elementary Schools, and addressing long-term recovery are underway. The district is committed to keeping families and communities informed throughout the process.”- LAUSD Super Intendent, Alberto Carvalho
The following information came directly from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
“All Santa Monica schools will reopen Tuesday, January 14, 2025. We will be prepared to implement our inclement weather schedule if air quality changes.”
More information on the air quality response may be found on the SMMUSD website.
“Malibu schools will remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday, January 14th and 15th due to ongoing safety concerns of the Palisades Fire along with road closures and power and gas outages in some neighborhoods.”
By Sharon