Students at Palisades HIgh School will start the fall session at the location in Santa Monica.
In a June 18 letter to the Palisades Charter High School Community, Principal and Executive Director Pam Magee said, “After thoughtful consideration and multiple visits to our Palisades campus, we’ve determined that the best place to kick off the 2025–2026 school year will be our Pali South campus in Santa Monica.”
There had been speculation that the students might return to Pali as early as September. Portable buildings had burned in the Palisades Fire, but the main school and gym were largely intact. To prepare for a return to campus, the baseball field was razed and new portable classrooms placed on it.
Magee said that by staying in the current location for the beginning of the school year, restoration and construction needed at the main campus could continue unimpeded.
“This will ensure that our students and staff can start the year in a safe, fully functional learning environment,” Magee said and noted that most likely the school will stay at the Pali South campus through Thanksgiving break and “possibly through the end of the first semester.
“Our goal is to return to the Palisades with as little disruption as possible to teaching and learning,” Magee said and added that “Restoration work is well underway – focusing on key shared spaces like the football field, gym and aquatic center, so they may possibly be ready for community use even before we return.
“Conversations about new construction on campus are ongoing with the LAUSD facilities team and will continue throughout the summer,” Magee said, and encouraged parents and the community to stay engaged.
“Thank you for your continued support, flexibility, and unwavering commitment to our school,” Magee said. “This community has shown incredible resilience, and I have no doubt that together we will make this year one of strength, growth, and unity.”
Palisades Charter High School is a top rated, public, charter, magnet school. It has 2,991 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 24 to 1. The school is ranked #12 out of 507 for best charter high school in California and #46 of 694 for the best public high school in Los Angeles.
The Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center may reopen to the community before students return.