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Palisades Charter High Reopens as Students Return to Campus a Year After Wildfire

The return follows months of environmental remediation led by LAUSD with independent experts reviewing the testing data.

Overview

  • Classes resumed Jan. 27 on the Palisades campus after a year at a temporary Santa Monica site, greeted by faculty, student ambassadors and a community turnout.
  • Thirty-six portable classrooms now occupy the former baseball field as rebuilding advances to replace the destroyed J Building, with permanent facilities targeted for 2028–2029.
  • Athletic facilities, including the stadium and aquatics center, remain under construction and are expected to open by the end of February, according to school officials.
  • LAUSD conducted repeated soil, water, air and surface testing, installed real-time sensors for PM10, PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide, and secured an independent review that deemed the site acceptable for students’ return.
  • The temporary on-site setup cost about $30 million, enrollment has declined from roughly 2,900 to around 2,500, and some parents continue to question the scope and communication of safety testing.