The wildfires in early January disrupted schooling for greater than 725,000 college students and destroyed or broken at the least a dozen faculties. A number of faculty districts, together with Alhambra Unified, Pasadena Unified, San Marino Unified and Glendale Unified, closed inside the first few days of the fires. Colleges within the central and japanese a part of Los Angeles Unified College District closed as a consequence of energy outages and poor air high quality.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an government order on Jan. 14 permitting college students to attend faculties outdoors of their regular district boundaries. Most college students moved virtually instantly, with faculties reporting a bump in enrollment within the first month postfires. Many fire-displaced college students will stay at their new faculties this fall.
The county doesn’t straight observe transfers as a result of wildfires. The Occasions surveyed dozens of colleges and districts and acquired detailed info for about 1,655 college students displaced by the fires throughout 16 districts and 15 particular person faculties. In complete, these faculties are house to greater than 132,000 college students. The Occasions’ estimates are primarily based on information via Might 2025.
Within the Los Angeles Unified College District, Palisades Constitution Elementary College and Marquez Constitution Elementary had been destroyed. LAUSD disenrolled at the least 170 college students, roughly 4% of complete enrollment on the eight faculties the district supplied information for. Palisades Constitution Excessive College was considerably broken and closed, with courses now held on the reworked Sears constructing in Santa Monica. Officers on the constitution faculty say the district misplaced 474 college students after the Palisades hearth.
Pali Excessive college students transferred to Mira Costa Excessive and Beverly Hills Excessive. Fifty-four college students went to Santa Monica Excessive, only some blocks from the previous Sears website the place the varsity relocated to within the spring.
Roughly 321 college students enrolled in six seashore metropolis faculty districts with the bulk displaced by the close by Palisades hearth. Mira Costa Excessive College enrolled essentially the most college students out of any faculty that responded to The Occasions, with 107 college students. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified College District accepted 135 new college students of their district, with almost half of these being elementary college students.
The Village College, a non-public elementary faculty within the Palisades, was destroyed and is quickly in Santa Monica. The varsity reviews that just below 20% of households left the world. Those that didn’t relocate are dedicated to the varsity: 96% of them reenrolled for the 2025-2026 faculty 12 months.
Glendale Unified College District took in 51 college students, whereas La Cañada Unified took in 60. The inflow of scholars from the fires has barely elevated class sizes at some faculties in Glendale Unified, however a district consultant stated they’ve added academics and adjusted staffing accordingly.
“We’re dedicated to welcoming each household displaced by the fires with fast enrollment, faculty placement and the help they should really feel at house and succeed,” stated a consultant for Glendale Unified.
Los Angeles Unified Training Basis supported academics and faculties in affected areas with classroom supplies, neighborhood wellness occasions and psychological well being help for college students, academics and households, in line with a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson.
It’s unclear what number of of those college students will keep put as the brand new faculty 12 months begins. In June, LAUSD permitted a $604-million plan to rebuild Marquez Constitution Elementary, Palisades Constitution Elementary and Palisades Constitution Excessive College by the top of 2028. However most college students displaced by the fires can have aged out earlier than courses can return to their campuses.
The rebuild will scale back Marquez Elementary’s school rooms from 37 to 22 and Palisades Elementary from 26 to 24. Pali Excessive will stay within the Sears constructing for the autumn semester. Marquez Elementary college students are sharing a campus with Nora Sterry Elementary in Sawtelle, whereas Palisades Elementary college students will keep on the Brentwood Sciences Magnet.
