Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.
Published March 25, 2024 5:00 AM
Third grade students participate in the Great Shakeout annual earthquake drill at Pacific Elementary School in Manhattan Beach on Thursday, October 21, 2021.
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Getty Images
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Topline:
LAUSD has hundreds of buildings that need to be inspected, possibly retrofitted or that are already in the process of being modified. A reader found out that one of those buildings is at her kid's future school, so she wanted to know if it'll be safe in an earthquake.
What’s the list?: In 1999, the state legislature passed AB 300, which required certain older school buildings to be assessed for seismic safety and potential retrofit.
Is your kid safe?: Without a proper structural assessment and modeling, we’re not able to easily tell you whether a building will be safe in an earthquake. LAUSD would be the ones with this information.
Proactive steps to take: Ask your kid’s school what their earthquake plans are, including what sorts of supplies they have, where pickups will be and what’ll happen to your child if you can’t get there right away. You can also check out the classroom and make sure that there are no heavy items sitting up high, waiting to fly off and injure someone.
Talk to your kid: Go over what you want them to do if there is an earthquake and you’re not with them. Practice drop, cover, hold on at home.
Is my kid’s local LAUSD campus earthquake safe?
That’s what listener Connie Lichtenstein wanted to know after she found out that the school they were considering sending one of their children to had a building that may need to be retrofitted.
“I am worried about my child attending our local elementary school, Franklin Ave ES (part of LAUSD), in the fall because it is on the AB 300 list. Are AB 300 schools earthquake-safe RIGHT NOW?”
After looking into it I can say it’s a complicated question with an unsatisfying answer, but it’s worth exploring because it can give Connie and maybe even you, an insight into earthquake safety at schools, about which questions have been raised before.
What is Assembly Bill 300?
In 1999, the California legislature passed AB 300, which directed the Department of General Services to put together a list of public school structures that didn't meet a major 1976 code overhaul called the Uniform Building Code.
More than 9,600 buildings across the state were identified for review, according to a 2002 report prepared by the DGS.
After assessments, each of those structures fell into one of two categories:
Those that are likely to do well in an earthquake (2,122 structures)
Those that might be a danger and need to be evaluated (7,537 structures)
According to representatives from LAUSD, 667 district buildings were ultimately identified as needing seismic evaluations.
Since then:
34 buildings have been successfully retrofitted
139 buildings have had their seismic evaluations completed and are in some stage of the retrofit process
459 structures are still in the process of being assessed for seismic safety
All tilt-up, non-ductile concrete and brick buildings (one of the riskiest types of buildings) have been demolished or retrofitted.
LAUSD lists their building inventory online, but that only identifies 645 out of a potential 667 buildings. It's unclear why. Representatives say it's up to date.
A classroom.
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Alison Yin
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EdSource
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What does LAUSD say?
I requested an interview with an expert from LAUSD to discuss the safety issue and was denied.
After more than a week of waiting for answers to a list of questions, the school district followed up with a statement from a spokesperson.
"A school building on the Los Angeles Unified AB300 Criteria Building List means that the type of structure has been identified for seismic evaluation. Once evaluated, an appropriate action plan is developed, if necessary. If during the evaluation process, a building is determined to possibly pose a safety concern, the necessary actions will be immediately taken to ensure student and staff safety."
Looking for clarity, I asked: Are students and faculty safe inside of buildings on the AB 300 list in the event of an earthquake, even if a building has not yet been assessed or had its retrofit completed? Are they expected to meet life safety performance? The question that's at the crux of this entire piece?
LAUSD did not answer the question.
So ... is my kid's school safe?
If you do find out that one of the unimproved buildings is on your kid's campus, should you be worried?
"The fact that the building is on this list doesn't automatically make it a highly vulnerable building," said Henry Burton, an associate professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UCLA.
"Because of the number of variables that are involved it's very hard to say if there's a building that's in imminent danger."
A whole lot of work goes into figuring out if a building is going to perform OK in an earthquake. Experts need to review building plans, do on the ground assessments, take into consideration everything from materials to the way that they're joined together. They also need to do ground motion modeling that considers different types of potential quakes.
If they do find out that a building needs to be retrofitted, the structures often need to be opened up for expensive improvements that can take years to complete.
Students at Bryant Elementary School take cover under their desks during an earthquake drill as part of the Great ShakeOut event on October 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California.
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Justin Sullivan
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Multiple structural engineers I spoke with also said that even if a building was built 100 years ago, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't do well in a quake.
"Usually when I'm talking with parents, I will often throw my poor daughter under the bus by reaching the conclusion that there aren't too many school buildings out there that I would not allow my daughter to go to class in," said Kenneth O'Dell, a structural engineer in Long Beach.
"I have confidence in the building inventory within the local market for schools. And that confidence comes largely from the knowledge that the Division of State Architect has been involved in certifying school buildings since shortly after the 1933 earthquake."
The structural integrity of schools has been a priority in California since 1933, after the Long Beach Earthquake destroyed 70 schools. Luckily, students weren't in school at the time and mass death was avoided. A month later the legislature passed the Field Act, which set more strict building requirements for schools than were previously in place. It's often pointed out that since then, no school buildings in California have collapsed in an earthquake.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if you're OK with the risk, as is always the case when we talk about anything disaster related. That was the entire conclusion of our podcast The Big One, which dives deep on the impacts of a major San Andreas earthquake.
“If they continue to be on this list and they're not retrofitted in any way, then yeah I think I would either continue homeschooling my kids or I would find a school for them that isn't on that list that we don't have to worry about," said Lichtenstein, when I told her what I learned.
What should I ask my child's school?
"The only thing I would suggest is to try to get more information from the relevant school district about what they're doing about the buildings, and if they have a sense of the timeline for evaluating and retrofitting these buildings," Burton said.
Feel free to ask either your kid's school or an LAUSD board member about a particular building, whether it's been assessed and what its shortcomings may be. If you get stonewalled or find anything out, shoot me a note.
Outside of structural safety, there are some important questions about earthquakes that the school should be able to answer:
What are the school's earthquake plans and can you see them?
What sorts of supplies do they have available and when were they updated?
What sorts of precautions are they taking in terms of strapping down heavy items in the classroom and how often are classrooms inspected?
Where will parents be able to pick up kids after an earthquake?
If you can't get to your kids after the earthquake, what happens?
Is there anything you can prepare for your child in anticipation of a disaster to make them more comfortable while they're waiting?
You should also consider printing out an emergency card and sticking it in your kid's backpack, so they always have critical information on them that they can refer to amidst the chaos.
Find Your LAUSD Board Member
LAUSD board members can amplify concerns from parents, students, and educators. Find your representative below.
Jordan Rynning
has been following this case for months, including interviewing the man at the center of allegations.
Published October 31, 2026 7:00 AM
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, spoke with LAist on Sept. 16, 2026, about the federal body armor case against him being dismissed.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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Topline:
The L.A. County District Attorney’s office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez earlier this week. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Most serious claims haven’t materialized: Though federal prosecutors made headlines claiming in court documents and on social media that Alvarez was “leading a violent street gang, while claiming to be a gang interventionist for the City,” they have not filed charges related to those claims.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez on Wednesday. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He had served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Why Alvarez’s arrest made headlines: Alvarez was working as a city-contracted peace ambassador in MacArthur Park when he was arrested by federal agents in May. Federal and county prosecutors each brought felony charges against him, claiming he was in possession of body armor as a violent felon.
Bill Essayli, who leads the U.S. Attorney’s office in L.A., pointed to the case on social media to criticize city officials for allowing taxpayer money to be “shelled out to a convicted gang murderer.”
About his criminal record: Judges in federal and state court have now dismissed prosecutors’ felony charges against Alvarez, after U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang found on Sept. 9 that Alvarez did not have a violent felony conviction. Alvarez was 15 when he committed a gang-related murder. He was tried and convicted as an adult in 2002. After a change in state law increased the age at which minors could be sentenced as adults to 16, Alvarez’s case was sent back to juvenile court, and he was released in 2024. At that point, he had served more than 20 years.
A federal judge ruled Tuesday, Oct. 7 that Republican Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top U.S. prosecutor in Los Angeles.
The ruling is the latest roadblock to the Trump administration’s effort to extend handpicked acting U.S. attorneys beyond the 120-day limit set by federal law. The strategy was designed to bypass confirmation by the U.S. Senate — something that generally requires a degree of bipartisan support.
Essayli “is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney,” U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote.
The order won’t take effect until the court rules on the government’s motion for a stay pending appeal. Essayli said he doesn’t agree with the court’s order. He said the president and Attorney General “have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.”
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published October 31, 2026 5:00 AM
Myrna Velasco (left) performs as Dolores Huerta in “¡Sí Se Puede!” at Boyle Heights City Hall on April 2, 2026.
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Carlin Stiehl
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LAist
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Topline:
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The backstory: Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Eliana Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring. “There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” Pipes said. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The show's extension had been announced prior to the news that Huerta died Wednesday, Oct. 28., at her Bakersfield home. She was 96 years old.
“There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” said playwright Eliana Pipes. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring.
CSULA seeks memories from underground music scenes
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published October 31, 2026 5:00 AM
CSULA is seeking memorabilia from LA's underground music scenes for its research archives.
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Courtesy Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State University, Los Angeles.
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Topline
There’s a whole world of underground Southern California music history that’s hidden in storage boxes — photos, fliers, cassettes and other memorabilia. Research librarians at the California State University, Los Angeles are holding a community archive event on Nov. 5 to ensure the cultural memory of L.A.’s underground music scenes are preserved for future generations.
Why it matters: The memorabilia are the physical remnants of the supportive L.A. communities built around music and enjoyment. But many of these objects languish out of sight, and run the risk of being lost, along with the memories attached to them.
Why now: For four years, archive staff have held an annual day to receive ephemera from the public. They're doing it again on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Read on… to hear how goth, rockabilly and other underground clubs in L.A. inspired the head archivist.
Right around the year 2000, there was a club night in Hollywood called Clockwork Orange. Fans of The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus and other bands came for the DJ’s mix of their favorite songs but also for a vibe that welcomed people regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual and gender identity.
“I was a pretty shy person, and so that was a place where I could sort of be myself and express myself,” said Azalea Camacho, a regular there in those days.
She had just graduated from Workman High School in the City of Industry and was also clubbing at rockabilly music nights in Rosemead and goth club nights in downtown L.A.
Camacho said there was lots of memorabilia from those times, such as photos taken in and outside the clubs, ticket stubs and promotional fliers. They're the physical remnants of those supportive communities built around music and enjoyment, but many of them languish in shoeboxes and storage units, at risk of being lost — along with the memories attached to them.
Cal State LA has hosted Sounds of the Underground Archive for the last four years. It's an opportunity for people to donate their underground music scene memorabilia.
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Courtesy Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State University, Los Angeles
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“I think the danger is maybe those stories are not being told, or people don't know about the story,” she said.
Keeping stories alive
More than two decades later, Camacho is now in a position to make sure those stories are kept alive. She’s head of special collections and archives at the university library at California State University, Los Angeles.
Four years ago, she and library staff created an annual day for area residents to donate or digitize memorabilia for their Sounds of the Underground Archive. This year it's on Thursday, Nov. 5. They’ll accept physical donations, but they’ll also have a scanner to digitize printed material, so people can keep items that are precious to them.
SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND ARCHIVE
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5 Time: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Location: Cal State LA Library Community Room, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles
Camacho is hoping this year will bring in a bumper amount of memorabilia. It's taken time to get the word out, she said.
“From the actual community archiving day [we’ve collected] maybe 100 or less than 100 items. … It's not a lot,” she said.
She said they're on the lookout for a wide range of mementos, including:
Fliers
Handbills
Zines
Newsletters
Posters
Set lists
Photographs (prints, negatives or digital files)
Cassette tapes, CDs, or vinyl records
Ticket stubs
Wristbands
Band merchandise (stickers, buttons, patches, T-shirts)
DIY press kits or liner notes and correspondence (letters, emails, messages related to music scenes)
Venue or collective ephemera (membership cards, schedules, announcements and more)
