Parents and teachers will learn Sunday if they will return to Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms on Monday, as the unprecedented wildfirs continued to plague the region.
The district announced on Friday that it “will continue assessing conditions and provide a preliminary update on Saturday regarding air quality levels and prevailing conditions,” and “a final decision will be made on Sunday, at which time, schools will communicate with families.”
LAUSD schools were initially closed on Wednesday because of the various fires and resulting poor air quality. The district announced around midday Thursday that it would keep campuses closed Friday.
“The health and safety of our students and employees are of the utmost importance,” a Thursday news release said.
Upwards or 20 other districts joined LAUSD in closing this week.
Pasadena Unified School District announced Friday, Jan. 10, that schools will remain closed until Friday, Jan. 17, due to the severe impact caused by the Eaton fire. Meanwhile, a member of the teachers’ union said Friday as many as 300 of its members have lost homes to the massive blaze.
Schools across the Los Angeles region — from Malibu to Pasadena — are continuing to grapple with intense impacts from ongoing fires in the region.
Multiple schools have been destroyed or damaged by the flames.
The Palisades fire, as of Friday, Jan. 9, has burned more than 20,000-acres, leaving more than 5,000 structures — including homes, businesses, cars, and more — destroyed in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
And on the other side of town, the Eaton fire continued to spread throughout Altadena and Pasadena, burning more than 6,300 acres and leaving behind and equally destructive scene in its wake.
Amid the devastation, the county Office of Education launched a Wildfire Recovery Fund, in partnership with a philanthropic organization on Friday.
The Wildfire Recovery Fund, in partnership with the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, will deliver funding to help students, families, and educators impacted by the ongoing fires in the Los Angeles region.