Palisades Charter High School attend a temporary high school until the campus in Pacific Palisades is reopened at the beginning of 2026.
Photo: HENRY KAMER
(Editor’s note: The following note, written by Principal Dr. Pam Magee was sent to the Palisades Charter High School Community and is being shared with Pacific Palisades residents.)
Dear Palisades Charter High School Community,
I hope you are settling into the new school year and looking forward to the extended weekend. I am writing to dispel some recent rumors and provide an update regarding plans for the second semester.
As previously announced in June, Palisades Charter High School will return to its campus in the Palisades at the start of the second semester. Staff will report on January 12, and students will return on January 13.
Until that time, daily in-person instruction will continue at Pali South for the remainder of the first semester.
The decision to return in January—not sooner—was made thoughtfully and with our students’ academic success in mind. After a semester that was interrupted by a school-wide transition to online learning, maintaining consistency and minimizing disruptions is essential. By completing the semester at Pali South, we ensure a stable learning environment and allow for a smooth and focused transition back to our home campus in January.
Thank you for your continued support, flexibility, and commitment to our school community. We are excited about returning to the Palisades and look forward to starting the new semester together on our home campus.
Warm regards,
Dr. Pam Magee
I’m happy to hear that Pali will be back home in January…. But I was really sad to see that they have covered the whole upper canyon area with black top! Temescal Canyon and Sunset. Do you know how hot that’s going to be for the kids in warm weather?
Certainly a patch could’ve been left for some greenery or drought tolerant plants.
I sure hope the school has maximum security for its students surrounding the block of the Sears building. They are in the most dangerous area of Santa Monica and I honestly can’t wait for the kids to be back in Pali where they won’t have tens of unstable individuals roaming around the school along with drug dealers and addicts sprawled out on the streets. It is great that our kids have a place to learn. Let’s also make sure they don’t become prey of the disastrous crime infested social experiment that is Santa Monica.
Hurrah fo the city of Santa Monica for the gift of an alternative school site and double hurrah for the students of Pali High for accepting it. In a year of trauma for those students, stability is the anecdote. There is never a perfect solution in an emergency like this. I think this is about as perfect as it can be. Kudos to the students of Pali High for your persistence, determination, and commitment in the face of such a tragic life event. Congratulations on returning to your home campus in January 2026!!