Students from Pacific Palisades were back in the classroom on Wednesday – but at different schools than a week ago.
Balloons and boxes of donuts welcomed students from Marquez Elementary, which burned down in the Palisades Fire, to their new educational home at Nora Sterry Elementary in Sawtelle. Despite the change in venue, the students will have the same teachers and classmates.
Some of the students lost their homes in the fire as well. Parents told KNX News’ Karen Adams they’re thankful to see their kids returning to some sense of normalcy.
“I just wanted him to get back as fast as he could to his normal routine,” one mother said. “We are staying at a motel down the street, so thankfully it's fairly close. I thought I'll take him again so he can see his friends, and he loves his teacher, so he's very excited to see his teacher and his friends.”
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said it was important to get the students back into the classroom as soon as possible.
“It brings a level of comfort, anxiety-reducing feeling, that they absolutely need, and the first ones to notice were actually the parents,” he said. “So the parents are celebrating the fact that very quickly we were able to stand up these accommodations.”
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Students from Palisades Elementary, which was also severely damaged in the fire, will be attending Brentwood Science Magnet. Students at Palisades High will be learning remotely while the LAUSD looks for a building that can accommodate the school’s 2,800 students.
Carvalho said a long road is ahead, with the cost of rebuilding the schools impacted by the fire estimated at around $1.2 billion.
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