Mia Palacio felt like she lost a piece of herself after wildfires destroyed much of her hometown of Lahaina in 2023. 

Palacio struggled to deal with the grief of losing her town and home. She isolated herself from her loved ones and often felt angry 鈥� that her family didn鈥檛 have a permanent place to stay, that more people weren鈥檛 able to evacuate the night of Aug. 8, that she was moving between high schools where she didn鈥檛 feel welcomed. 

The pain only intensified as the months wore on and, finally, nearing the first anniversary of the fires, Palacio reached out for help.

Hundreds of students like Palacio have struggled mentally since the fires and not all have received the help they need. The Hawai驶i Department of Education estimates more than a third of Maui students lost a family member, sustained a serious injury or had a parent lose a job after the fires, which killed 102 people and damaged more than 3,300 properties in Lahaina. 

Two years later, many in Lahaina are ready to return to normal. But therapists say students鈥� mental health challenges continue to mount. 

That鈥檚 common after a disaster, especially at the two-year mark, when adrenaline wears off and stress remains high, said Christopher Knightsbridge, one of several researchers at the University of Hawai驶i who has studied the well-being of Lahaina fire survivors. While kids may feel numb immediately following a disaster, after two years, they鈥檙e facing the toll of constant uncertainty and change, he said.  

It鈥檚 a phenomenon seen wherever schooling has been disrupted by natural disasters, reporting by Honolulu Civil Beat, The Associated Press and several other news outlets shows. But a couple years after the disaster, schools are not always prepared with extra mental health supports. On Maui, for instance, the island is dealing with an ongoing shortage of specialists. In the past few years, the number of psychiatrists serving youth has dropped from four to two, even as demand has grown.

鈥淭he crisis isn鈥檛 over,鈥� Knightsbridge said. 

Two Years In 

Palacio made progress with the help of a school counselor and then a local organization that supports teens鈥� mental health through outdoor activities and adventures. Now, the senior at Lahainaluna High School said she鈥檚 more comfortable confiding in others and controlling her emotions, and she takes pride in mentoring younger students who have also struggled since the fires. 

But two years in, many kids still wrestle with depression and anxiety.

DayJahiah Valdivia, a senior at K墨hei Charter School, said her stress levels still spike when there鈥檚 strong winds or small brush fires on Maui. Valdivia lives in Upcountry Maui, which also faced wildfires that burned over a thousand acres of land on the same day as the 2023 Lahaina fires. Her home was spared, but it took months for her family to return because their property was covered in soot and needed professional cleaning. 

She feels less anxious now that her family has discussed their escape plan for future disasters. But a summer fire near a friend鈥檚 home in Central Maui renewed her fears about her loved ones鈥� safety. 

鈥淭he anxiety never really wore off,鈥� she said, adding it was especially difficult to concentrate in class or feel safe on windy days during the first year after the fires. 

In a  conducted in 2024, just over half of children reported symptoms of depression, and 30% were likely facing an anxiety disorder. Nearly half of kids in the study, ages 10 to 17, were experiencing PTSD. 

Children in disaster-torn towns across the U.S. can relate. 

In Paradise, California, where the 2018 Camp Fire took 85 lives, a protracted period of disillusionment followed what some called the 鈥渉ero phase,鈥� where the community pulled together and vowed to resurrect their town. Both Lahaina and Paradise had housing shortages after their fires, so families had to move away or live with friends to go to school or work in the area. In general, students who don鈥檛 have a permanent living arrangement tend to struggle more academically and have more behavioral challenges,  shows. 

Many Paradise students still cope with anxiety and grief, seven years later, making it difficult to fully engage in school. A year after the Camp Fire, 17% of students were homeless, and the suspension rate was 7.4%, compared to 2.5% statewide. The suspension rate remained nearly triple the state average last year, and more than 26% were . 

Aryah Berkowitz, who lost her home, two dogs and her family鈥檚 business in the Paradise blaze, dealt with lingering behavioral challenges following the disaster. For nearly a year afterward, her family of seven, plus a pair of surviving pitbull-labrador mixes, lived with a friend in nearby Chico, sharing two bedrooms and a bathroom. Berkowitz, then in sixth grade, slept on the couch.

鈥淚 was having to help my family a lot and wasn鈥檛 able to handle it,鈥� said Berkowitz, a once-high-achieving student who was suspended twice after the fire. 鈥淚 was holding it inside and took it out on other people. Some days I鈥檇 just walk out of class.鈥�

Back on Maui, many students similarly disengaged from school.  In a DOE survey of Maui students in the first year after the fires, roughly half of kids said they were having trouble focusing in class or felt upset when they were reminded of the wildfires.   

Some have found it difficult to retain class material or simply stopped attending in-person classes as they moved between hotel rooms and temporary housing, according to Lahainaluna High teacher Jarrett Chapin. A few moved to online learning as their families faced continued instability. 

鈥淭hey just sort of vanished,鈥� Chapin said. 

A Shortage Of Specialists

Maui has long dealt with medical workforce challenges. Even before the fires, Maui faced a shortage of mental health professionals because of the state鈥檚 high cost of living and housing shortage.

The fires brought burnout and greater economic obstacles, only exacerbating the issue. Since then, Hawaii鈥檚 education department has tried to bulk up Maui鈥檚 mental health staff, first by bringing in providers from neighbor islands and the mainland and then by using a $2 million federal grant to support students鈥� well-being and academics. 

But hiring mental health staff has been so difficult that even the federal money hasn鈥檛 made much of a dent: In the first nine months of the grant, the state education department primarily used the money to  nearly an hour to Lahaina schools from other parts of the island.

The state has now used the money to hire five part-time mental health providers working with students and staff, including one specialist who works in the evenings with students who live on Lahainaluna鈥檚 campus as boarders, said Kimberly Lessard, a Department of Education district specialist.

Still, two of the six behavioral health specialist positions in Lahaina schools remained unfilled as of this summer and have been for years, Lessard said. 

Valdivia, who still deals with anxiety from the Upcountry Maui fires, has seen the impacts of the provider shortage firsthand. She鈥檚 on a two- to three-month waiting list to see a psychiatrist on Maui, and she鈥檚 seeing an O驶ahu-based therapist via telehealth because there aren鈥檛 enough providers who can meet with her in person. 

While she鈥檚 grateful to have connected with a therapist who can make their virtual meetings work, it鈥檚 frustrating to go through such a lengthy process to get help, Valdivia said. 

鈥淓ven just to get evaluated (by a psychiatrist), it鈥檚 literally months,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just think that鈥檚 crazy.鈥�

It鈥檚 common for disaster-torn communities to struggle with shortages of psychological staff, often because of burnout and a lack of resources. 

In Puerto Rico, which has suffered from a series of disasters since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, students have experienced high rates of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Yet despite legislation in 2000 to create more school psychologist positions, it wasn鈥檛 until the pandemic that the commonwealth鈥檚 Education Department dedicated money to hire them. 

The school psychologists 鈥渃an鈥檛 keep up,鈥� said Nellie Zambrana, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Puerto Rico at R铆o Piedras. Those who are working are overstretched, according to a study by the university鈥檚 Psychological Research Institute. One psychologist, the study said, was assigned to more than 100 students at three schools. 

New Ways To Help

On a Tuesday afternoon in June, Loren Lapow wasn鈥檛 deterred by the storm clouds gathering over D.T. Fleming Beach on Maui. The social worker helped teens carry an inflatable paddleboard to the water鈥檚 edge, cheering them on as they swam. 

Amid the fun, Lapow directed the teens to reflect on their fears and losses, asking them how they feel when they smell smoke in the air or think about Lahaina鈥檚 Front Street, most of which was destroyed in the blaze. 

鈥淧laces are like a friend to us,鈥� Lapow said. 鈥淲hen you lose places, it hurts.鈥� 

Lapow founded the Maui Hero Project, which  describes as 鈥渁dventure-based counseling services.鈥� The eight-week program Lapow started just over 25 years ago teaches kids basic disaster preparedness skills and immerses them in outdoor activities. It鈥檚 also a form of mental health support. Healing from trauma comes in many forms, Lapow said, whether it鈥檚 helping kids create new friendships or leading small group discussions about the mental toll of the fires.  

鈥淲e need to create a culture of healing and resiliency,鈥� Lapow said.

Lapow鈥檚 approach has become a common strategy for nonprofits and therapists trying to reach kids who have balked at discussing their mental health since the fires. But those efforts aren鈥檛 always reaching kids who need the most help. 

There鈥檚 a strong stigma around seeking mental health services, particularly in Filipino and Latino communities that make up a large portion of Lahaina鈥檚 population, said Ruben Juarez, a professor at UH who led the research study on fire survivors. Families may see counseling as a sign of weakness, he said, and children may be reluctant to open up to therapists out of fear of being judged or scrutinized.

Yet in the study, Latino teens reported the highest rates of severe depressive and PTSD symptoms. Filipino teens reported some of the highest rates of anxiety. Similar cultural trends are seen in communities across the U.S.

Moving forward, Juarez said, kids鈥� mental health needs to be at the forefront of recovery plans. 

The state is hoping struggling students will open up to their peers.  A new Oregon-based program called YouthLine will train Hawai驶i teens to respond to crisis calls, said Keli Acquaro, the administrator for the Department of Health鈥檚 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division. In addition to providing kids with real-time support from people their own age, Acquaro said, it will hopefully strengthen the pipeline of local students considering careers in mental health. 

Keakealani Cashman, who graduated from Kamehameha Schools Maui in 2024, is hoping to be part of the state鈥檚 solution to provide more mental health support to the next generation of children. 

After losing her home to the fires, Cashman spent her senior year talking to Native Hawaiian practitioners and researching how cultural values, like connections to the land and her ancestors, could help her community heal from the trauma of the fires. The project improved her own mental health, said Cashman, who regularly met with her school鈥檚 behavioral health specialist. 

Now, Cashman is entering her second year at Brigham Young University Hawaii and hopes to work as a behavioral health specialist in Hawaiian immersion schools.  

鈥淭his horrible, horrible thing happened to me and my family, but I don鈥檛 have to let it kill the rest of my life,鈥� Cashman said. 鈥淚 can really help my family, my community in school, and just make an impact in what I know how to do.鈥� 

His neighbors said his house was burning down in the wildfires 鈥� along with his entire Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Aveson School of Leaders, which McFeat runs and where his kids attended school just three blocks from his house, was also burning.

Unable to sleep, Mcfeat drove away from his in-law鈥檚 house that he鈥檇 been evacuated to and made the drive back to Altadena.

He drove through the fire lines and into his neighborhood to see if he could salvage anything, save anyone, or put out the fires that had raged on the east side for more than 48 hours straight, and decimated the Palisades in the west. 

He was greeted with a scene out of a horror movie. Fueled by a violent windstorm and piles of brush left from a particularly wet winter last year, the firestorm was like a tornado shooting flames, blasting through his neighborhood.

鈥淚t was like driving through a bomb scene,鈥� said Mcfeat. 鈥淭here were homes exploding. I probably shouldn鈥檛 have been there.鈥� 

Despite the devastating losses, Mcfeat can鈥檛 imagine not rebuilding his home and school right where they were in Altadena. But the road to recovery will be a long and painful one.

鈥淣o doubt about it. We are going to rebuild,鈥� said Mcfeat. Aveson . At this point, a new site for the school has not been identified. The district hasn鈥檛 been able to help them yet.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what we鈥檙e going to do,鈥� said Mcfeat.

The wildfires that burned Los Angeles this month are , displacing more than 150,000 residents and killing at least 25 people. Two massive blazes fed by windstorms, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, simultaneously scorched the city from the sea to the mountains, filling the air with vast plumes of ash and smoke.

As the wind and flames began to retreat last week, and firefighters gained control of the fires, schools began to reopen. And the kids began to return to class.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is by far the largest district of about 80 in Los Angeles County,  after being totally closed since last Thursday. Seven schools remain shut because they鈥檙e located in evacuation zones. Another three won鈥檛 reopen because their buildings were badly burned or destroyed in the fires.  

Dozens of much smaller districts in Los Angeles County also reopened this week, with the exceptions of two districts, , which encompasses Altadena, and , which neighbors Altadena to the west. 

The Eaton fire has destroyed at least five schools but was mostly contained by Friday. 

Kids from two of the LAUSD schools that burned in the Palisades, Marquez Charter Elementary School and Palisades Charter Elementary School, were placed, with intact school rosters, in close-ish LAUSD school buildings that already had other schools in them.

The students who attended the burned schools were given their own entrances, classrooms and courtyards for kids to play. When parents dropped them off at class this week, there were a lot of tearful reunions.

Families from Palisades Charter were somber, but excited to return to normalcy with their new space located inside of Brentwood Science Magnet School.  

Joseph Koshki, a parent from the Palisades whose son attends third grade at Palisades Charter, walked holding hands with his son to their new classroom at Brentwood Science, which had been stacked with balloons.

鈥淲hen he saw his school burned on the news he was crying for days,鈥� Koshki said of his child. 鈥淏ut when he heard that he was going to his new school with his old friends, he was so happy鈥�.

Nina Belden, a parent of a Palisades Charter student who had made an emergency evacuation from her house in the Palisades with her family, said it was important for the students at her daughter鈥檚 school to stay together and receive in-person instruction.

鈥淲e were worried they were going to do something like remote learning,鈥� said Beldon.

, which also burned in the Palisades fire, has a long history in the community, having opened in 1955 when the Palisades still had a frontier feel, before the neighborhood became a favorite of Hollywood stars and media execs.

For Victoria Flores, who works as a paraeducator at Marquez, the school is part of her family. Flores went to Marquez when she was in elementary school, and her mother works in the cafeteria.

鈥淚t was my home away from home. We are devastated by what happened,鈥� Flores said.

But Flores said she and the rest of the staff were glad to be relocated together at a LAUSD school called Nora Sterry, about ten miles from the burned Marquez campus.

鈥淲e are a really close family,鈥� said Flores. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 helped us a lot.鈥�

Upstairs at Nora Sterry, Clare Gardner鈥檚 class had about eight of twenty students show up on the first day of relocation.

Her third-grade class was playing with clay and Mrs. Gardner, who is a twenty-seven-year veteran of Marquez, held back her tears as she helped students arrive into class.

鈥淲e always call it the Marquez family,鈥� Gardner said as the children greeted each other.

One boy in Mrs. Gardner鈥檚 class said he was happy to be around his friends and teacher but sad about his classroom fish and books, which were lost in the fire.

Later in the morning, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho went to visit parents at Nora Sterry.

After nearly a week off school, Carvalho says attendance is still below normal.

鈥淚 think where that attendance is lacking is in schools that were directly affected鈥� by the fires, Carvalho said.

Also hurting attendance, Carvalho said, is the fact that many families are enduring temporary relocations, while others lack stable housing entirely.

LAUSD staff attendance is back to normal, he said, while student attendance is about 88% 鈥� down , representing about 10,000 fewer students than normal.

 鈥淎s conditions of the families begin to normalize and stabilize, those [attendance] numbers will rise,鈥� said Carvalho.

For other schools in other areas of Los Angeles, recovery may be longer in the making. 

Bonnie Brinecomb, principal of  in Altadena, which burned to the ground in the Eaton Fire, estimates that the homes of 40% of the students enrolled in the school also burned.

Families and school staffers are scrambling to ensure displaced families have food, shelter and clothing, Brinecomb said. Some students are turning up for daycare at a nearby Boys and Girls Club that offered to take them in.  

Brinecomb said Odyssey has partnered with McFeat鈥檚 school Aveson to search for new facilities. But the double loss of students鈥� homes and the schools鈥� campuses is a gutpunch.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 just heartbreak. Pure shock,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 even process how bad of a situation just happened.鈥�

Like Aveson, Odyssey has  and Brinecomb says the school will rebuild. How long that will take, though, remains an open question.  

From the perspective of displaced children and families, the faster things return to normal, the better, said Dr. Frank Manis, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Southern California. 

The experience of trauma can intensify if routines are disrupted for longer periods, and the intensity of the disruption matters as well, said Manis. Kids who lost their homes to fires may have a harder time bouncing back than those who only lost their schools, he said.    

鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of on that spectrum of wartime PTSD, but not as bad,鈥� said Manis. 鈥淪o what it could lead to is nightmares, difficulty sleeping, and emotional or behavior problems that can last for quite a while.鈥�

Children fighting post-traumatic stress from the fires may become withdrawn, or act out in class, said Manis. But mostly, he said, the  shows that even children badly impacted by the fires may begin to feel normal within a few months. 

鈥淜ids are pretty resilient,鈥� said Manis. 鈥淏ut trauma can disappear for a while, and then it can resurface later. When everyone鈥檚 forgotten how bad it was, it can resurface.鈥� 

Carlos Garcia Salda帽a drove past block after block of homes, businesses, and churches 鈥渨iped off the face of the earth.鈥� The Eaton fire that had consumed large parts of Altadena was still burning in the San Gabriel Mountains. The charter network leader needed to see what remained of his schools.

As Garcia Salda帽a approached Odyssey Charter School South, the facade and main entrance appeared intact. But as he looked left and up the hill, he saw a heap of twisted metal and charred rubble where, two days earlier, there had been classrooms, offices, lunch tables, play structures, and an after-school clubhouse. The tree stumps where students used to sit and eat and dream were still smoldering.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just jarring and heartbreaking,鈥� Garcia Salda帽a said.

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Over the past week, wind-whipped wildfires reshaped wide swaths of Los Angeles, and destroying more than 12,000 structures. A dozen or more . The danger is not yet past, with fires only partially contained and high winds forecast through Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of students were out of school last week as more than announced temporary closures due to poor air quality, shifting evacuation orders, and the many , , and who had lost their homes.

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued suspending many state rules governing schools to make it easier for schools to operate in temporary buildings and for students to enroll across district lines, as well as waiving requirements about instructional days.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation鈥檚 second-largest, a handful of schools in areas still under evacuation orders, including three that were neighborhood, remained closed early this week. The district announced that students from two ravaged Palisades elementary schools Wednesday from other district buildings on the city鈥檚 west side.

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified opened its Santa Monica campuses on Tuesday but kept schools in Malibu closed through Wednesday due to road closures and power and gas outages. Many local families have had to evacuate because of the proximity to the , and the district for affected families. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified also said it was monitoring air quality and that its facilities had air filtration systems in place.

In Pasadena Unified, the Eaton Fire, which started on Jan. 7, badly damaged five of its Altadena campuses, which housed a district middle school (whose student-led ), a defunct elementary school, and three charters, including Odyssey South, known as OCS South. Pasadena Unified said its schools will remain closed through this week but that it will offer self-directed online learning and grab-and-go meal service.

Close-knit community faces widespread losses

Now Garcia Salda帽a鈥檚 days are consumed with checking on the many families and staff who lost their homes and looking for a space where students could return to school as soon as possible.

Odyssey operates two Altadena charter schools, OCS South and Odyssey Charter, the network鈥檚 original school, which sustained minimal damage 鈥� some downed trees and smoke residue. The charter network, founded in 1999, now serves a total of 830 students in transitional kindergarten through 8th grade.

OCS South opened its doors in 2018 and relocated to its current location, on the grounds of the former Edison Elementary School, three years ago. Since then, the Odyssey community has set out to make the campus its own 鈥� painting murals, planting gardens, and replacing old play structures.

Over the weekend, Garcia Salda帽a sent a video message to families describing the damage to buildings at the two campuses. Odyssey Charter will require a major clean-up; the OCS South location was a near-total loss. But Odyssey isn鈥檛 about buildings, he said in the video, but about 鈥渢he community that makes us such a special and unique place that we all love so much.鈥�

Emmanuel Barragan, a father of three OCS South students, echoed that point as he dropped off his daughter and two sons at the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena on Monday. School leaders know the name of every single child and what they need, he said, noting, 鈥淪ometimes, it almost feels like the school is a co-parent.鈥�

Odyssey partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to offer free child care this week. The club also alerted other local schools that its doors would be open this week to any school-age child in need of a safe place to be. The clubhouse was providing all-day programming, including arts and crafts, sports, and educational games, and waiving its drop-in fee.

More than 200 students had arrived by mid-morning on Monday. Garcia Salda帽a, better known to students as Dr. Carlos, was at the door to greet Odyssey families. He offered hugs as students made their way inside, and he checked in with caregivers about their housing status.

A survey of Odyssey鈥檚 roughly 650 families had yielded more than 300 responses, with 83 student households reporting 鈥渇ull loss of home & belongings.鈥� Others said they didn鈥檛 yet know the condition of their home. Four Odyssey employees, including the Odyssey Charter principal, also lost homes in the fire, Garcia Salda帽a said.

Altadena native Marcellus Nunley evacuated with his family around 3:45 a.m. on Jan. 8. Within hours, their home was gone. 鈥淓verything melted鈥� was how his 5-year-old son, an Odyssey Charter kindergartener, put it. Nunley dropped off his son at the Boys & Girls Club so he could spend the day managing the logistics of a family displaced by fire: calling the mortgage company, reaching out to the county tax assessor, and procuring all of the little life necessities he hadn鈥檛 given much thought to until they went up in flames.

The losses are exacerbated by Altadena residents鈥� love for their neighborhood, with its charming bungalows and craftsman homes, picturesque hiking trails, and beloved local businesses. 鈥淎ltadena is a diverse community, which is wonderful. It鈥檚 a walking community, it鈥檚 a dog walking community, it鈥檚 town and country,鈥� Nunley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great melting pot of society.鈥�

Before the Eaton Fire, about 42,000 people resided in Altadena. Many Black families who faced housing discrimination in other Los Angeles neighborhoods in the 1960s. Today, Black residents make up about 18% of the population. Roughly a third of Altadena residents are Hispanic, about 40% are white, and there are many Asian American and biracial families.

The Odyssey student body reflects the community鈥檚 racial diversity. It鈥檚 also economically diverse, with about 30% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, according to Garcia Salda帽a.

Caitlin Reilly鈥檚 two sons, 10-year-old Townes and 8-year-old Ellar, are students at OCS South. When the Eaton Fire forced another Odyssey family to evacuate early on Jan. 8, they drove to the house Reilly shares with her partner and kids, located in a section of Pasadena outside of an evacuation zone.

For the next four days, the four adults and four children huddled together in the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home. The kids had an epic sleepover, and the parents stared at their devices, searching for the latest news about the fires engulfing Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Odyssey families connected on social media and text chains, offering up what they could and asking for what they needed, Reilly said. They arranged indoor playdates so kids could be together without breathing the smoke-filled air. They replaced baseball bats and gloves for Little League players who had lost theirs to fire, and they organized backpack and supply drives. The school launched a to support recovery efforts.

Fire鈥檚 devastation leaves uncertainty about next steps

The evacuated family鈥檚 Altadena house is still standing, but their badly damaged neighborhood remained under evacuation orders this week. They secured a temporary rental, but Reilly fears that many local families who lost homes will have a hard time finding a place to stay.

鈥淭he fear is that it will be like Katrina,鈥� she said. The 2005 hurricane devastated New Orleans, damaged or destroyed , and . 鈥淲e鈥檙e worried that we鈥檒l lose so many families that are part of the community because there is nowhere to house them.鈥�

That would hit Odyssey hard, given the closeness of its community and the fact that its funding is tied to its enrollment numbers.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been cheerleading about cleaning up and rebuilding, but as far as logistically what comes next, I don鈥檛 think anyone knows yet,鈥� said Reilly, who serves on the Odyssey Charter Schools board.

Mary Scott, whose 10-year-old son, Charlie, attends OCS South, also fears dwindling enrollment at Odyssey. 鈥淭he reality is, these aren鈥檛 all well-off families, and now they have to find a place to rent and rebuild while also having to pay their mortgages,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 do worry about the families that have to relocate. It would be a tremendous loss.鈥�

Odyssey leadership acknowledges how much remains unknown: when schools will reopen in person, where classes will be held, how many families will stay local and how many will resettle elsewhere, and the extent to which the network will need to rely on remote learning.

Scott, for one, said she鈥檚 hoping to avoid remote learning because it was so difficult during COVID school closures when her son was in kindergarten and first grade. But if she had to choose between online schooling and leaving OCS South, she said would likely stay put because 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to abandon our community.鈥�

Garcia Salda帽a said the COVID years taught him a lot about what works for online learning (shorter lessons, movement breaks) and what doesn鈥檛 (asking kids to sit still for two to three hours at a time). But he鈥檚 mostly focused on finding a temporary physical location so students can return in person as soon as possible.

At the same time, he鈥檚 still figuring out the availability of Odyssey鈥檚 115 employees, many of whom remain displaced, and asking teachers to reach out to each of their students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about having a familiar voice on the other end of the line saying, 鈥榃hat do you need? How is your family?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淲e are all human, first and foremost.鈥�

This was originally published by . Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. . 

School districts across Los Angeles County have announced plans to close all or some schools as multiple fires spread across the Los Angeles area.

In total, at least  have announced full or partial closures, according to the L.A. County Office of Education.

Alhambra Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

In a , Superintendent Denise Jaramillo said before- and after-school programs and activities are also canceled. 

“We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide further updates as they become available,” she added, noting the district has not made a decision about Thursday.

Arcadia Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

“All district events and services will also be closed and canceled, including athletics, and after-school program,” the district . 

The district also said it has not made a determination about the rest of the week.

Azusa Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

“This closure will allow District staff to thoroughly assess any potential damage to school sites and ensure that schools are safe for students and staff to return,” per a . 

The district said it would keep families updated through email, the website, and social media.

Burbank Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8th.

The  it will not provide child care and that all after-school activities are canceled.

Schools are expected to reopen on Jan. 9.

Duarte Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

In a , the district noted that its office and schools lost power on Tuesday.

El Monte City School District

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

Head Start will also be closed. 

The district said  that it expects schools to reopen on Thursday. But a science camp trip for 6th grade students at Cherrylee and Cleminson will be postponed.

Garvey School District

All schools closed Wednesday, January 8.

In a statement on X, State Senator Sasha Ren茅e P茅rez announced the closure. The school district was not immediately available for comment.

Glendale Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

“This decision was made to prioritize the safety of our students, employees, and families, as wind and fires have significantly impacted the accessibility of roadways and the air quality in our area,” the district .

The district said it would make a determination Wednesday afternoon about whether schools will remain closed Thursday.

La Ca帽ada Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

In a , the district said it anticipates reopening on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Las Virgenes Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

In a statement posted to the district’s Facebook page, Superintendent Dan Stepenosky said that Southern California Edison had turned off the power at a number of schools. The district hopes to reopen Thursday, he said.

Los Angeles Unified

Los Angeles Unified School District announced a growing list of school closures for Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho described a challenging day ahead for the district at an 8 a.m. press conference Wednesday. He said a number of schools are closed down, and further decisions for school closures for tomorrow will be made by 4 p.m.

For schools that are open today, he said the district will be flexible with its attendance policies.

鈥淲e know today is not going to be a perfect day,鈥� he said. “We will utilize grace and discretion.”

All athletic activities, games, and practices are cancelled for Wednesday.

The following schools are closed:

• Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary
• Canyon Charter Elementary School
• Marquez Charter Elementary School
• Palisades Charter Elementary School 
• Paul Revere Charter Middle School
• Topanga Elementary Charter School
• The Zoo Magnet at North Hollywood High School will not have classes at the Los Angeles Zoo. Students and staff will report to the North Hollywood High School main campus.

In addition, more schools in the central and eastern part of the district (north of Manchester Boulevard/Firestone Boulevard, East of 10th Avenue, West of Interstate 710, and South of Highway 134) will be closed due to hazardous air quality conditions.

LAUSD officials said Wednesday morning that they would release a full list shortly.

Students will have online learning resources made available through the district’s .

, an independent school located on district property, but the campus is currently not in session. On Wednesday morning, Carvalho said the high school had 鈥渟ignificant damage鈥� from the fire. 

LAUSD “will also work with the appropriate agencies to secure funding relief for Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, and any school impacted by the extreme weather,” the district said in a statement late Tuesday night.

Monrovia Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

In a , Superintendent Paula Hart Rodas said the rest of the week is up in the air.

“Our district teams will be on-site tomorrow to assess any damages caused by the wind and ensure the safety and security of all school facilities,” she said. “We will provide an update on our school schedule for Thursday, Jan. 9, once the assessment is complete.”

Mountain View School District

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

“This decision was made to prioritize the safety of our school communities as this wind storm event has significantly impacted the accessibility of roadways, causing potential hazards as our families and staff make their way to and from school,” wrote Superintendent Raymond A. Andry in . 

District staff will assess campuses Wednesday and provide an update on whether schools will reopen.

Pasadena Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Meals: Grab & Go meals will be available for pick-up at 10 a.m. and noon at: 

• Madison Elementary (515 E Ashtabula St.)
• McKinley School (325 S Oak Knoll Ave.)
• Willard Elementary (301 Madre St.)

, Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said the district would make an announcement Wednesday about whether schools will reopen Thursday.

Rosemead School District

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

The district  and cited the high winds. The district will assess any damage to campuses Wednesday and plans to reopen schools Thursday, Jan. 9.

San Gabriel Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

The school district cited the ongoing fires and “associated safety concerns” as the reason for the closures. The closure affects both students and employees. 

San Marino Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

The power went out at all four of the San Gabriel Valley district’s schools and there was widespread debris, Superintendent Linda de la Torre . 

“This decision was not made lightly,” de la Torre wrote. “After consulting with the fire and police chiefs, neighboring superintendents, as well as with our Board President, we believe this is the safest course of action for our students, staff, and families given the ongoing hazardous conditions.” 

The district plans to reopen schools Thursday, Jan. 9.

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Santa Monica-Malibu USD  that all schools will be closed on Wednesday and staff would work from home. 

“Essential emergency staff and maintenance and operations staff should report for duty and check in with their supervisors,” the district statement said.

South Pasadena Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

Superintendent Geoff Yantz  that the decision to close schools was made in consultation with the South Pasadena Police and Fire Departments and the school board president. 

“SPUSD schools and many areas within South Pasadena do not have power due to the ongoing wind storms and fire activity,” Yantz wrote. 

The district plans to reopen schools on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Temple City Unified

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The district cited power outages, downed trees and damage to several campuses in .

The district plans to assess damages before determining whether to open schools Thursday, Jan. 9. A previously planned “student free day” on January 29 will now be a regular school day.

Valle Lindo

All schools closed Wednesday, Jan. 8. 

Superintendent Paula Hart Rodas  that the decision to close was made to “prioritize the safety of our students, staff, and community members.” 

District staff will assess campuses Wednesday and then provide an update on Thursday’s school schedule.

Caltech

Caltech announced that its campus in Pasadena will be closed for “all nonessential operations” on Wednesday. For more information, visit聽.

More fire coverage

For the most up-to-date information about the fire, you can check:

Palisades Fire

Eaton Fire

Hurst Fire

This was originally published on .