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Students at two burned-out Los Angeles elementary schools were left in the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades on Wednesday, while at least 150 school district employees, including many teachers, were left homeless, according to an employee union estimate. Classes will resume Wednesday at a new location in a nearby district.
Students who attended Palisades Charter Elementary School will transfer to Brentwood Elementary School Science Magnet in Brentwood, which borders Pacific Palisades. Students who attended Marquez Charter Elementary School will now attend classes at Nora Sterry Elementary School in the Sawtelle neighborhood south of Brentwood.
Officials announced the opening of the relocated school at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
The relocation plan will keep the two evacuated school communities intact, with the same teachers teaching the same students.
Over the weekend, some teachers at the host school worked to move the new students out of their current classrooms so they could gather in designated areas on campus. At the same time, the arriving teachers were preparing to move.
All of the district’s 1,000 campuses were closed on Thursday and Friday last week. All but the two campuses that were destroyed and seven others affected by evacuation zones reopened on Monday.
The teachers’ union announced that it has identified 148 teachers’ union representatives who lost their homes. United Teachers Los Angeles represents approximately 38,000 teachers, counselors, psychologists, and nurses. The union said it was aware of 550 evacuees as of 3 p.m. Monday.
Another union representing library aides, the California School Employees Association, announced that two of its members were left homeless.
Together, these two unions account for about half of the district’s employees.
The district plans to provide affected employees with five days of flexible paid leave, but that number could increase, according to Los Angeles Schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho.
Teachers Union President Cecily Miart-Cruz and Administrators Union President Maria Nichols criticized Tuesday for not immediately closing campuses after the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires, and for principals and parents. He harshly criticized the Carvalho administration, citing a lack of communication caused by the panic.
Carvalho acknowledged the problem but said it was not due to a lack of care. He said the district’s actions are based on protocols developed in 2021 following the large-scale fire.
“This guide actually looked at a single event,” Carvalho said. “By the way, this is consistent with the level of preparedness and response declared by fire departments, local governments, CAL FIRE: three, four, five or six simultaneous fires of hurricane-level strength, some level of emergency. Never before have we had this level of preparedness for stable winds and unpredictable wind changes.”
Carvalho said on Wednesday’s show that principals have reported that the air quality dashboard “doesn’t match what I’m seeing.”
Mr. Carvalho’s decision on Wednesday to expand school closures and even close schools in progress, which created logistical problems, seems more prudent than waiting for the school day. , he said.
He added that the district will review and improve its procedures in the future.
Palisades High School, a Los Angeles unified facility managed by independent charter schools, remains closed this week.
Principal Pamela McGee wrote in a post to school officials that about 40% of the building was damaged or destroyed.
Paris High School is scheduled to open next Tuesday and will offer classes online while it searches for a temporary location.
Also Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced measures to help schools recover and sustain funding. Among other things, the order suspends attendance, class size, and residency requirements for affected campuses.
Districtwide attendance on Monday was 91% for the year, compared to 87% across LA Unified. Attendance at the Brentwood Elementary School Science Magnet was 65%. In Stelly, it was 79%.
The Eagle Rock area was affected by heavy smoke and strong winds, and the number of visitors in the area was lower than usual. Eagle Rock Elementary School’s attendance rate was 84% and Eagle Rock High School’s attendance rate was 90%.
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