L.A. high school damaged in Palisades fire set to reopen in 2 weeks

One year after fire destroyed or damaged three school campuses in the Pacific Palisades area of Southern California, Los Angeles Unified School District officials say that Palisades Charter High School will reopen its campus in two weeks.

The district also says that permanent rebuilding of two elementary schools in the Palisades area is expected to be completed by fall 2028, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The January 2025 fire forced the evacuation and relocation of thousands of students at Marquez Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary and Palisades Charter High School.

District officials say students from Palisades Charter High School will return to their original campus in about two weeks after spending about a year at a repurposed Sears building in Santa Monica.

About 30% of the campus was damaged in the fire; the remaining buildings have undergone extensive cleaning and safety checks, including air, soil and water testing, officials said.

Krisztina Tokes, the district's chief facilities executive, said roughly 70% of the high school’s permanent buildings were not destroyed, so students are able to return while reconstruction continues on the damaged parts of the site. About 30% of classrooms will operate in portable buildings, she said.

By contrast, Marquez Charter Elementary was a complete loss; no permanent structure survived the fire. Students were initially relocated to Nora Sterry Elementary School in West Los Angeles before returning to the Marquez campus in September to attend classes in portable facilities. Permanent reconstruction of the campus is expected to be completed by fall 2028.

At Palisades Charter Elementary School, district officials said about 70% of the campus was damaged. The elementary school’s permanent rebuild is also targeted for completion by fall 2028.

Officials say the district has installed air quality monitors at the campuses that provide real-time data on particulate matter, wind conditions and air quality. The systems are designed to detect environmental changes as rebuilding continues in surrounding neighborhoods.

Enrollment has declined at the fire-affected campuses, largely because many families have relocated. Marquez Elementary, which enrolled about 300 students before the fire, now has roughly 130 students. Palisades Charter Elementary has declined from more than 400 students to about 300. Palisades Charter High School enrollment has dropped from 2,900 students to about 2,500 students.

The rebuilding effort is expected to cost about $600 million and is being funded through a $9 billion bond approved by voters in 2024.

District officials say they are also seeking reimbursement through the district’s insurance coverage and federal disaster assistance from FEMA.