The Pasadena Unified School District will reopen campuses in phases over a two-week stretch with the goal of returning all students to in-person learning by the end of January as it begins recovery from the Eaton fire, which destroyed several schools and forced the closure of all campuses.
But district officials, speaking at a press conference Thursday, did not offer specifics of their plan, and shared few details about how and where charter schools that burned down would reopen.
The district said in a statement that six school sites are expected to open in the next week. Those locations are slated to be named at a board meeting Thursday night.
Five district-owned school properties were severely damaged or destroyed in the conflagration than began Jan. 7. Among those, three charter schools rented campus space from the district: Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Aveson School of Leaders and Odyssey Charter School. The district did not discuss the future of these campuses.
“We are considering their needs,” said District Supt. Elizabeth Blanco. “I know that they need space too — we’re just not able to assess where that space might be at this current time. But they’re not forgotten, and we’re working on it.”
Blanco, whose district includes 14,000 students — 10,000 of whom were evacuated from their homes — said several factors have slowed efforts to assess damage, including an inability to access some schools within evacuation zones. Collectively, the fire-ravaged schools educate about 1,500 students.
In a letter Wednesday to Blanco, the heads of four local charter schools noted that state law requires public school districts to offer the independent charter schools available space. They asked for immediate support to find temporary facilities for their students, among other requests.
Asked about the letter Thursday, Blanco said, “I think what they’re trying to say is, ‘You’re not able to answer the questions that we need answered right now.’”
“I would ask them to know that our hearts are with them too, and to be patient,” she continued. “They are part of a bigger plan.”
In addition to the charter school sites, district-run Eliot Arts Magnet school was also damaged, possibly beyond repair, as was Franklin Elementary, which closed in 2020.
All of the district’s 24 campuses have been closed since Jan. 8. For those that survived the fire, several steps must occur before they can bring students back.
The district is in the midst of a massive clean-up, deploying 1,500 workers who have already removed 10 tons of debris from campuses. Those sites can only reopen after testing confirms they are safe per California Office of Emergency Services standards.
“If they don’t pass the environmental testing, then we will be required to clean them again,” Blanco said.
It’s not known how many of the district’s 3,000 employees lost their homes, but nearly 1,400 lived in neighborhoods that evacuated.
