LAUSD announces plans to rebuild schools wrecked by Palisades Fire

Los Angeles Unified will spend $725 million to rebuild Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary and Marquez Charter Elementary after they were left devastated by the deadly Palisades Fire.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced the plan in a news conference Tuesday.

Students from each of the schools have been displaced since the Palisades Fire destroyed their campuses. The district relocated the 410 students who attend Palisades Charter Elementary to the campus of Brentwood Science Magnet and the 312 students who attend Marquez Charter Elementary to Nora Sterry Elementary.

Students from Palisades Charter High switched to online learning beginning Jan. 21.

Where’s this money coming from?

LAUSD voters approved Measure US in November, a $9 billion school bond intended to repair, renovate and build classrooms.

The district envisioned using that money to increase green space on school campuses and repair critical infrastructure like roofs, heating, ventilation and cooling systems.

Now the district says it’s going to expedite some of those projects and spend up to $2.2 billion on those improvements this year, including:

• $250 million to upgrade HVAC systems
• $200 million to fortify campuses against earthquakes
• $45 million in roofing upgrades
• $700 million in school greening projects
• $122 million in solar energy systems

Carvalho said the district is also researching how to expand its network of air quality sensors to cover the entire district.

 "We noticed over the past weeks, far away areas from where the fires were burning had the highest concentration of smoke, dust, and ash,” Carvalho said. “The air sensors were giving us information that did not reveal that condition. That will change.”

What’s the timeline?

If everything goes according to plan, Carvalho said Palisades students would be back on their respective campuses in brand new buildings by the time school starts in 2028, but it’s possible they could return sooner.

Carvalho said if debris removal and environmental testing can get done by May, students could return to the site of their schools in portable classrooms.

 “We have the capacity to do this, we can do this, but we need the partnership of the state and federal entities,” Carvalho said.

While the district has designated bond funding to the reconstruction, it also plans to seek reimbursement from FEMA.

“ We want to work with members of Congress and the administration to ensure that all of the dollars we're spending will be reimbursed, not years down the road, but in an expedited format,” Carvalho said.

The Environmental Protection Agency is now in the process of removing hazardous material from campuses.

Pam Magee, the Palisades Charter High principal and executive director, said in a statement Tuesday that the school was considering proposals for how to move forward as quickly as possible (“I cannot discuss right now”), but did note parent frustration: “Full-time virtual learning for all students is unacceptable and will not occur beyond the next few weeks,” she said. “We understand that remote learning is necessary for some families and the school will work with these families on a case-by-case basis.”

Related: 'Halfway normal': Pasadena Unified schools return, with mental health a big focus

How can I learn more about how the bond will be spent?

Carvalho said there will be a forthcoming series of public meetings about the rebuild process.

And like all school districts that issue bonds, LAUSD has an independent body to oversee bond-funded spending, known as a Bond Oversight Committee. The district website shows upcoming agendas for public meetings, summaries of past meetings, audits, and other information about how the district has spent taxpayer dollars on repairs and construction.

Education editor Ross Brenneman contributed to this story.