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How LAUSD prepared schools to be safe and clean amid wildfires
On Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, LAUSD employees and temporary workers prepared Brentwood Science Magnet to reopen after wildfire closures.
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Mariana Dale
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Los Angeles Unified School District is back in session Monday. The nation's second largest school district has been closed since Thursday as fires spread around the Los Angeles area. The district accounts for more than half of the 700,000 students who had been without school since late last week.
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As LAUSD reopens, how the district is preparing schools to be safe and clean
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho cited increasing fire containment, improving air quality and a restoration of power to several campuses as factors in reopening schools in a press conference Sunday evening.
“Students, our workforce in many instances will come back having witnessed and experienced a level of destruction without parallel in the history of our community,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. “We are going into [Monday] with grace, with patience, with empathy, with support, with love to address the needs of our children, their families, and our own workforce.”
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What restrictions are in place?
Outdoor activities and athletics will be limited.
The district pledged to make KN-95 masks available to students and staff, per a spokesperson.
The following schools in mandatory evacuation zones will remain closed:
- Canyon Charter Elementary
- Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary
- Topanga Charter Elementary
- Lanai Road Elementary
- Paul Revere Middle School
- Roscomare Charter Elementary
- Community Magnet Charter
The Palisades Fire destroyed Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Charter Elementary School. The district is preparing to relocate 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.
Palisades Charter High School (an independent charter school in LAUSD) was substantially damaged in the fire. The second semester had not yet resumed, but the school said on Instagram that it will delay the start of classes until Jan. 21; they are still working out where students will be.
LAUSD employees repair windows at Brentwood Science Magnet on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in preparation to reopen the school after wildfire closures.
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What LAUSD staff are doing
District officials said 3,000 employees, plus additional temporary staff, worked through the weekend to prepare campuses for staff and students.
Raul Sanchez typically oversees custodial and maintenance services at Short Avenue Elementary School as a plant manager, but reported to Brentwood Science Magnet at 6 a.m. Sunday.
“ I think it is a sense of importance for everybody to do their part so we can all come together and make this work,” Sanchez said.
Workers throughout the district inspected and changed air filters, wiped down classroom surfaces and power-washed sidewalks covered in ash and debris. The district also said 3,000 standalone air purifiers were ready to deploy to campuses that continue to have a smoky smell or other air quality issues.
Does California have rules for post-wildfire school clean-up?
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California law does not mandate any specific maintenance after fire, but the state’s Department of Education recommends districts clean, replace air filters and hire professional remediators for severely damaged campuses. The state also recommends schools limit activity based on air quality.
Brentwood Science Magnet is also preparing to house students from Palisades Charter Elementary.
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“It's not just … bringing them and packing them in,” said Adrian Pacheco, regional facilities director for westside LAUSD schools, as he pointed to freshly waxed floors in one classroom. "But giving them a space that is worthy of their time."
Do you have a question about the wildfires or fire recovery?
Check out LAist.com/FireFAQs to see if your question has already been answered. If not, submit your questions here, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
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