Pasadena Unified School District reopens campuses in phases over two weeks with the goal of having all students return to in-person learning by the end of January as the Pasadena Unified School District recovers from the Eaton Fire, which destroyed multiple schools and forced closures. do. of all campuses.
But at a news conference Thursday, district officials declined to elaborate on the plan and provided few details about where and how the burned-out charter school would reopen.
The district said in a statement that six schools are scheduled to open within the next week. Those locations will be named at Thursday night’s board meeting.
The fire, which began on January 7, severely damaged or destroyed five school district-owned school facilities. Three charter schools leased campus space from the district: Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Aveson School of Leaders, and Odyssey Charter School. The district did not discuss the future of these campuses.
“We are considering their needs,” said District Supt. Elizabeth Blanco. “We know they need space too, but we can’t assess where that space is at the moment. But they are not forgotten and we are working on that.” .”
Blanco, whose district has 14,000 students, 10,000 of whom have been evacuated from their homes, said efforts to assess the damage are due to several factors, including the inability to access some schools in evacuation zones. He said it was delaying the process. Approximately 1,500 students are being educated in the schools damaged by the fire.
The leaders of four local charter schools noted in a letter to Blanco Wednesday that state law requires public school districts to make available space to independent charter schools. They asked for immediate assistance in finding temporary accommodation for students, among other requests.
“I think what they’re trying to say is, ‘You can’t answer the questions that we need to answer right now,'” Blanco said Thursday when asked about the letter.
“We want them to know that our hearts are with them and to be patient,” she continued. “They’re part of a bigger plan.”
In addition to the charter school site, the district-run Elliott Arts Magnet School was also damaged, likely beyond repair, as was Franklin Elementary School, which closed in 2020.
All 24 campuses in the district have been closed since January 8th. Campuses that survived the fire must take several steps before allowing students back.
The district is in the midst of a major cleanup, with 1,500 workers already removing 10 tons of debris from campus. These sites can only reopen after testing shows them to be safe according to California Department of Emergency Services standards.
“If it doesn’t pass the environmental tests, it will need to be cleaned again,” Blanco said.
It was unclear how many of the district’s 3,000 employees were left homeless, but nearly 1,400 lived in the evacuated areas.
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