The Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, has announced that the district will repair or rebuild the three schools damaged in the Los Angeles wildfire and will also renovate all district campuses to be more natural disaster resilient. He further stated that the district will allocate $2.2 billion for these efforts, as reported by The Guardian.
The funding includes $725 million to reconstruct Palisades and Marquez Elementary Schools, which were almost entirely destroyed, and Palisades Charter High School, which suffered approximately 30% damage.
Alberto Carvalho announced the news via his official X (formally Twitter) handle. He tweeted:
“We are committed to rebuilding Pali ES, Marquez ES, and Pali HS as quickly as possible, and making campuses across the District more natural disaster resilient. We have earmarked funds to make to ensure this happens. Thanks to the numerous local, state, and national partners that are supporting us in this work.”
In another tweet he announced the details about the repair or the rebuild of the schools. He tweeted, “Today we announced our resolve to expedite the process of rebuilding and enhancing our campuses. We look forward to partnering with others- state and national- to cut through red tape and accelerate the necessary recovery in our school communities impacted by the recent fires.
Support Measures for Impacted Schools
The Los Angeles Unified school District will provide the following support to the impacted schools:
- Up to $725 million commitment to rebuild Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, and Marquez Charter Elementary School
- Aiming to provide temporary classrooms on two of three school sites in the 2025-26 school year.
According to The Guardian, students from the two elementary schools, [alisades and Marquez elementary schools, have been relocated to other schools, while charter school students are attending classes online.
Impact of the January 2025 Wildfire
In the first week of January, Los Angeles was swept by a relentless wildfire that scorched over 40,000 acres, leaving entire communities reeling and bringing the city’s education system to a standstill.
Fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds, the inferno began its deadly march on January 7, 2025, severely damaging Palisades Charter High School, Marquez Charter Elementary, and Eliot Arts Magnet Academy. Several campuses were reduced to ashes, while others sustained severe structural damage.
With this initiative, LAUSD aims to restore education access and ensure schools are better prepared for future natural disasters.
