* Palisades Charter High largely survived the fire but is not yet ready to reopen.
*The school is looking for a temporary location and preparing to resume classes online.
The search for temporary housing continues for Palisades Charter High School, which was damaged by fire. Families of some 2,900 students are facing displacement, loss and uncertainty about their children’s education and future as school leaders work to launch a temporary and frightening online program. .
Approximately 40% of the campus was damaged or destroyed, according to Principal Pamela McGee. The original main campus survived, but its overall condition rendered it unusable, McGee said.
As the scale of the closure grows, parents and students have expressed a variety of concerns. What should I do to prepare for the Advanced Placement exam? Will I extend the school year to make up for lost class time? How will my grades and college applications be affected? When will I be able to play sports? Will it reopen? Will schools lose teachers if many students enroll elsewhere? Will students be able to come back if they leave?
There is also the possibility that the melted rubble may contain toxins, which could delay the return to campus.
“We don’t want them to get poisoned and get sick in 10 years,” said board member Maggie Nance, a parent, Spanish teacher and swimming coach at the school. At the same time, he said he recognizes that students need to return to the classroom.
“Being online has been terrible for children’s mental health,” she said at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. She was referring to the extension of the online education period due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Nance added that she understands parents may wish to enroll her in another school.
LA SCHOOLS Senior Alberto Cavalho climbs into what used to be the entrance to the classroom building at Palisades Charter High School.
(Howard Bloom)
“Do what’s best for you,” she said, imploring families to stick together and get through this. “If you stay in school, families can get through this together.”
In an online meeting, board members voted to give McGee emergency powers to make critical, time-sensitive decisions.
Paris High School occupies a long-standing campus owned by the Los Angeles Unified School District and is a popular independent charter school with its own board of directors.
Paris is essentially a neighborhood school in an upscale residential enclave perched high above the Pacific Ocean. Since Pali School is a charter school, students outside the enrollment area can also apply for enrollment through a lottery. The high-performing school is 51% white and 24% Latino. Approximately 27% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch due to low household income.
A fire broke out at Palisades High on the evening of January 7th.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Although the campus buildings are unremarkable, the grounds are spacious and lush, and are maintained at a higher level than many other public high schools in the city.
In an online post this week, Paris leaders announced what they are looking for in a temporary location.
● Classroom space or campus available for lease or donation.
● Large indoor and outdoor spaces suitable for accommodating students and teachers
● Support from local organizations that can assist with logistics and operations.
● Volunteers to help with transportation, setup, and adjustments.
● Access to nearby exercise ranges
Stress related to logistics and online classes
Nilu Farhadian, a parent of an eighth-grader who will enroll next year, said many parents are considering private school options and are stressed about meeting application deadlines. .
“Is there any chance of returning to campus?” she asked.
One mother said, “I sincerely hope that she doesn’t have to change schools.” She wanted to look at photos of the school to see what had been damaged and what had not.
Officials then scrolled through a slideshow of such images.
Parents are also concerned about logistics.
Parents of middle school students wanted to know about replacements for their school laptops, which were destroyed when their home burned down. So what about the internet?
Palisades High School is located across the street from the homes destroyed in the Palisades fire.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The school promised to replace computers and provide internet hotspots as early as Thursday. With families spread out, administrators are considering where best to set up distribution sites.
Online classes will begin next Tuesday, January 21st. The spring semester was scheduled to begin on January 13th.
One parent said, “I understand the delay.” “We have teenagers at home who are panicking because they feel so isolated.”
There was great concern about the transition to online learning.
Kat Benner said that when her daughter was taking online classes at her middle school during the pandemic, “some teachers decided not to attend.” She wanted reassurance that it wouldn’t happen.
Teacher Stephanie Moore responded: We don’t want to overwhelm our children, but we do want to give them proper attention. ”
One senior made the following comment about the cost of online learning:
“It was very difficult. I dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts. I felt like I was failing mentally and academically. Returning to campus was a great opportunity for me to recover and be successful in school again.” When I returned to campus, my F’s became straight As. They were my lifeline during the most difficult times in my life. Their support and presence sustained me when nothing else could, and now I… We need that now more than ever, and now, with the damage done to our schools, it feels like that progress is being pushed back.”
This student asked for a quick solution.
“If only part of the building is missing, why can’t we remove the rubble and replace it with temporary structures to replace the classrooms that were lost? There is room for it to rise in the coming days.”
Maggie tried to reassure him.
The school is currently applying for emergency funding.
“We are in the process of looking at other potential locations for the school,” McGee said. “We have some very good leads.”
Toll assessment
“We know that enrollment numbers will change,” McGee said, adding that some students will enroll elsewhere. “But we try to keep the campus as united as possible.”
At least 11 staff members were left homeless. At least 14 other people were evacuated. Despite these challenges, 120 staff members attended the planning meeting in Beverly Hills, with an additional 30 joining via Zoom.
Because Paris High School is primarily a neighborhood school, there could be a huge number of families who have been evacuated or lost their homes.
Three or four board members were left homeless, including Kumar Arzani, who was calling the meeting from Tarzana. Without elaborating on his personal struggles, he floated ideas for recovery.
Many of the speakers said they were willing to help with fundraising and volunteering efforts. A fund has been established at the school.
“Our schools are living, breathing entities,” McGee said. “It’s more than just a place…We’re going to get through this difficult moment.”
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