(The March 7 letter (below) was signed by almost 300 Palisades High School families in less than 24 hours and was sent to State, County, City and LAUSD officials and local newspapers, including the L.A. Times and Circling the News.)
The buildings that burned were closest to the tennis courts and baseball fields. Much of the campus remained intact, but needs smoke/ash remediation.
Attn: Dr. Pamela Magee and Palisades High School Board of Trustees
We, the parents of Palisades High School, appreciate your efforts thus far to ensure the safety and well-being of our students during this incredibly challenging time. However, we are writing to express our deep frustration over the chronic lack of communication regarding the return to in-person learning and the status of campus clean-up and rebuilding efforts.
For months, we have been told that the reopening of physical classrooms was imminent. Yet the goalposts keep shifting (from originally 6 to now 13 weeks), and our children remain stuck in a virtual learning environment that we all know is inadequate for their educational and emotional needs. The delay in getting students back into physical classrooms has gone on for far too long, and we have reached our limit.
We are particularly disappointed by the overall lack of communication and by the vague and cryptic nature of the few updates we have received. The administration’s messages have been insufficient, lacking the concrete details we deserve about when and how students will return to in-person learning.
Answering our questions has been avoided and we have been left in the dark. This most recent letter to parents coming under the title of “Special Board Meeting Cancellation Notice” was not helpful in instilling trust with our families.
We should not learn in a meeting cancellation notice that we are not returning to in-person learning in March as told, but instead on April 21st. This additional delay of 3 ½+ weeks, without any attempt at explanation or plans to provide for our students in the interim, is completely unacceptable.
We do not believe that this situation is being handled with our students as a top priority. Our elected representatives promised to remove red tape, rebuild our school, secure a temporary space, and support both immediate and long-term needs at no cost to our school. Where is the financial support and getting rid of roadblocks that our politicians promised? Teachers, coaches and students have immediate needs that must be addressed now.
- We want you to know that despite our disappointment in these communications, you do have us as allies. We are here to continue to reach out directly to our representatives’ offices and to bring parents together to get the support our school deserves. As we span 100 zip codes, it is an expansive list of electeds that can, and should, be motivated to assist in alleviating any remaining obstacles immediately.
You also have an impressive parent body filled with expertise in PR, communications, advocacy, facilities, construction and operations. We are here to help. And also, we will no longer stand aside and wait for infrequent updates and broken promises.
We need immediate action:
- We expect a firm plan that outlines specific dates and steps for reopening, as well as an explanation of the processes involved.
- A return to in-person learning ASAP/no later than April 21st, and regular updates to address progress toward that goal.
- School-coordinated activities and in-person gatherings to begin immediately. These should be a minimum of two per class for the duration of on-line learning. They should be led by teachers, club/activity leads with the necessary support and coordination from administration to ensure success and more equitable opportunities across the student body.
- Regular, weekly updates from Palisades admin and/or LAUSD every Thursday by noon, starting March 13. Updates should include, but not limited to, status reports on the temporary campus, permanent campus and in-person opportunities for the upcoming week.
Our students need structure, connection, and a plan—not vague reassurances. We deserve transparency, leadership accountability, and immediate action to restore stability for our students and families.
Please know that we love our school and have stayed enrolled because of that very reason. However, should the above weekly updates not be delivered in full by noon each Thursday until we are in a new location, then the following Friday, we will call for a sick-out and instead ask that students meet at parks or libraries where they can be together.
We are prepared to do this weekly anytime we do not receive an update as outlined above. The mental health of our children is worth more than this school and more than any academic learning that can happen in this extremely subpar, reduced-time, on-line learning option.
A coordinated protest is not our preference. We want our children to be in school. But due to the continued lack of communication, we feel we have no other recourse than to escalate this matter. Our children deserve our action at this urgent and difficult time.
Lastly, we remain steadfast in only returning to our home campus in the Palisades when the following are met:
- Relocation only when the Palisades campus is safe from hazardous materials, as deemed by regulatory authorities and publication of independent testing for air, water and soil. This should be in coordination with the completion of Phase 2 of the surrounding area.
- Minimized construction disruptions when students and faculty return.
- Haul routes to be set at a safe distance from campus during school hours.
Please know we are all proud Dolphins. We are your loyal families who have chosen to ride the wave, and we are here to help. However, we will not sacrifice our children’s mental health, academic learning and overall growth and development solely for a school’s longevity. We look forward to your prompt response and action no later than an update as outlined above by March 13.
The burned buildings and the debris on the Palisades High School campus have been removed.
(Editor’s note: Buildings that burned at the high school have gone through Phase 1 and Phase 2 debris removal. There was a proposal to use the empty Sears Building in Santa Monica as a place to hold classes. The plan is for the high school to reopen in the fall – but that would mean the County needs to speed up the Right of Entry forms that it gives to the Army Corps of Engineers, so that properties surrounding the high school are cleared. That would include streets off the Via de las Olas Bluffs, such as Radcliffe and Haverford and the streets above the high school, such as El Medio.)
The Army Corps of Engineers currently has 3,059 ROEs to work on. I really don’t understand only mentioning the County as a hold-up in the debris removal process. Only 159 lots have been cleared by the Army Corps. They are the ones who need to speed up!!!
Makes me wonder what she’s doing all day at a 200k+ salary
Lynn,
You’re looking at the aggregate of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. I’ve spoken to the Corps, who tell me they’re waiting for ROEs. I’m a case in point, I gave our to the county January 30, and they told me everything was complete. We didn’t hear back, so in the middle of February, we called and found out they were missing one thing. We submitted it and were told we were now okay. We’ve been to the center several times, emailed and called, to see the status and each time, they tell me everything is in order, but yet it has not been turned over to the Corps. I hear from other residents who are in the same boat.
I have asked for a public records request from the county, for ROEs specific to Pacific Palisades, when the first one was submitted and how many they have processed, and specifically how many a day of ROE’s are being given to the Corps.
Once I have the facts, we’ll have a more complete story. Is the Corps dragging their feet? Or is the County unable to process in a timely manner.
Sue
It is very impressive that so many students and their families came together to write this letter and clarify their concerns and expectations. BRAVO!
We have suggested the sears building to Pali high back in January for relocation. Since then, we have been getting emails stating that they are “working on finalizing the lease.” At this point, it would be easier to lease the White House. We are very frustrated and disappointed. In addition to losing our home, two of my children lost their schools. We hope that this delay will be the final delay in this process.