While students in Santa Monica are reacclimatizing to school settings, the Malibu contingent is still stuck at home due to the Palisades Fire.
On Tuesday evening, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton announced that Malibu schools (Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High) will be closed the remainder of the week. The district’s goal is to reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The district has been assessing Malibu schools and reports that they are “in good condition and were not damaged by this fire.” However, the assessment uncovered “considerable debris from the strong winds” as well as ash and soot, which is in the process of being cleaned both in indoor and outdoor spaces.
Webster Elementary School was the most impacted by this debris, making it the second time in a month the school was affected by fire. The school campus had just been restored and cleaned from damage sustained in December’s Franklin Fire.
The district used its social media pages on Tuesday to send a “heartfelt thank you” to its maintenance and operations team for “their tireless efforts in conducting thorough campus assessments and cleaning.”
There are still literal roadblocks to Malibu schools reopening, as Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu Canyon and Topanga Canyon remain closed as of Wednesday. Shelton stated that this “presents a very difficult situation” for Malibu staff coming from the north, south, and within the local area; as well as students who use bus services. Malibu Pathway Executive Director Isaac Burgess has been in communication with the City of Malibu Emergency Operations Center to monitor the status of PCH.
In addition to road access to schools by two or more roads, other school reopening criteria include energized power lines not being a threat, power and gas being sustained, schools not being in a mandatory evacuation or warning zone, school being damaged and air quality not in an “unhealthful” state.
A final announcement on Tuesday’s school availability will be made during a meeting of district officials on Sunday. In the meantime, families and students may connect with teachers regarding a continuity of learning plan.
“The destruction the Palisades Fire has caused is unfathomable,” Shelton stated. “We continue to learn of families and staff who have lost homes or are displaced. We are thankful that it appears to have moved away from more populated areas to the east and that is good news.”
Malibu High School’s Arlene and Dick Van Dyke Auditorium will be the site of a City of Malibu town hall, beginning Tuesday at 6 p.m. Seating is limited to the first 350 people, with a live stream link to be made available in the coming days.
Similarly, the Malibu Campus of Santa Monica College remains remote and closed as of Wednesday. The college’s Main Campus and satellite campuses resumed on-ground classes, services and business operations on Monday.
