The Pasadena Unified School District leaders on Thursday, Jan. 16, announced a phased reopening plan over a two-week period as the district tries to restore a sense of normalcy in the wake of the Eaton fire that left at least three campuses destroyed.
Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) officials unveiled the reopening plan as the community struggles with the aftermath of the firestorm that severely damaged campuses, displaced thousands of staff and families and left countless people without homes.
“As we gather today, our hearts are heavy with the challenges our community had faced in the wake of the devastating Eaton fire,” PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said. “We are hoping very quickly to get our students back to school, but the situation is fluid.”
The district said it will soon begin releasing the names of the schools ready for reopening. Campuses located further from the fire’s impact will reopen first to allow the community to start healing, officials said. School sites will also need to pass critical environmental testing before reopening, officials added.
By Wednesday afternoon, the wind-whipped Eaton fire had scorched more than 14,000 acres, claimed 16 lives, and destroyed thousands of structures, uprooting countless families across Altadena and Pasadena.
PUSD, which serves more than 14,000 students at 24 schools and five children’s centers, was among the school districts hardest hit by the wildfires in Los Angeles County.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, a day after the fire started, PUSD announced the closure of all campuses through Friday, Jan. 17, marking one of the most significant disruptions in its history, second only to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district has provided self-directed educational materials and activities online for students with access to devices and electricity, officials said. To further support families, PUSD Food Services is also offering Grab and Go meals at three locations.
Deep cleaning and classroom sanitizing have been underway since Jan. 10. PUSD maintenance crews, with the help of hundreds of private contractors, have already cleared 10 tons of debris, and efforts to clean and sanitize campuses will continue as more sites become accessible.
These recovery efforts have been particularly critical for five PUSD school sites that were severely impacted during the fire. Among them are Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School and Franklin Elementary—closed in 2020 but slated for future use under the district’s bond plan—as well as three campuses housing charter schools Edison, Loma Alta, and Noyes.
More than 1,300 district employees—roughly half of PUSD’s workforce—were evacuated as the fire devastated their communities. District officials said it remains unclear how many have lost their homes. For many, however, the fire brought the dual loss of both their home and their school.
Jonathan Gardner, president of United Teachers of Pasadena, which represents about 850 teachers and staff, including counselors, nurses, librarians, and specialists, said Jan. 14 that the union’s focus is making sure that conditions are safe for both educators and students as schools prepare to reopen.
“ I know the vast majority of our families would prefer, assuming it’s possible, in person, face-to face-learning, assuming it’s safe,” Gardner said. “So that’s our priority, is making sure that our members and our students are safe, and that education can move forward in our classrooms.”