After over a month of uncertainty surrounding Malibu school campuses, students are beginning to trickle back into hopeful normalcy.
On Tuesday, Webster Elementary School had just its second school day of 2025, a reopening of the campus after the Palisades Fire wrecked havoc on class schedules. Webster had previously dealt with damage from December’s Franklin Fire, and had just reopened for one minimum day on Jan. 6 before closing yet again.
To celebrate the opening, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) officials traveled to Malibu in the early hours, including Dr. Antonio Shelton who welcomed students back personally. The campus was one of four Malibu schools thoroughly cleaned over the past two weeks in anticipation for students’ return.
While the SMMUSD plan was to open all four Malibu campuses on Tuesday, Malibu Elementary, Middle and High schools were kept closed due to lack of power in the buildings, but were able to reopen on Wednesday.
The district’s top priority, Shelton stated on Sunday, was the “safety of our students and staff,” with transportation services and air quality concerns part of his message to the district.
As of Tuesday, Pacific Coast Highway remained closed between the 10 freeway at Lincoln in Santa Monica and Sweetwater Canyon Road to the west, presenting a transportation challenge for students that go between Santa Monica and Malibu for school. Bus routes for service to Webster, Malibu Middle and Malibu High were adjusted due to the PCH closure, with a temporary pickup hub set up in the Creekside Village Shopping Center in Calabasas.
The district also continues to be “closely monitoring several agencies” when it comes to air quality and making decisions regarding outdoor activities. The current standard used by SMMUSD in determining air quality includes measures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Air Quality Index, and California Department of Education (CDE) guidelines. Teachers and staff are advised to keep windows and doors closed to “maximize the indoor air quality.”For families and individuals in the Malibu area affected by the wildfire, the district’s partner Boys & Girls Club Malibu has opened a Disaster Relief Center. Operating from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays at 3357 Pacific Coast Highway, the center offers direct financial assistance, essential supplies, mental health services and connections to additional support. For more information, visit bgcmalibu.org/emergency-resources/.
