The Los Angeles-area fires have damaged — or destroyed — multiple schools, leaving parents wondering when and how their children can safely resume their studies.
Many schools in Los Angeles county are closed for now.
The Los Angeles Times accompanied Los Angeles United school district superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Jan. 8 as he surveyed the physical damage to a few of the area schools.
He told the outlet that two elementary schools were likely to be total losses, and Palisades Charter High School, which was featured in the1976 horror classic “Carrie” and the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday,” starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, sustained “significant” fire damage, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.
According to a Jan. 8 post on the Pasadena Unified School District Instagram page, the Eaton fire had damaged five Altadena schools to date: Elliot Arts Magnet School, Franklin Elemenary School, Aveson Charter School, Loma Alta Elementary School and Noyes Elementary School.
On the district website, Pasadena Unified superintendent Elizabeth Blanco wrote, “During this time, our top priority is ensuring that our students can continue their education. We are actively coordinating for learning options and will share updates with you as soon as possible.”
In both districts, meals are available for students to pick up and academic resources are available online. Both superintendents seem hopeful that schools will reopen on Monday, Jan. 13, and their district websites provide helpful information on mental health services and grab-and-go food distribution.
School openings would be a welcome sign of the return to normalcy … but what happens if students don’t have a physical school to return to?
After a major fire swept through the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023, the state encouraged some families to enroll children in districts outside the burn zone, according to Reuters.
In other instances, children attended classes outside or on a staggered schedule, reported AP News. Some private schools offered a year of free tuition to public school students, while other students opted for distance learning.
Even when Maui schools reopened, parents were hesitant to send their children due to concerns about air quality. So it may be a slow return to true “normalcy” for Californians.
In the meantime, organizations like the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles are providing free childcare for children of first responders, essential workers and families who have been displaced, evacuated or whose school has closed.
The YMCA has 28 centers in Los Angeles County, but due to the wildfires, only 23 are operational.
