LOS ANGELES, CA – While schools in Santa Monica have resumed normal operations, students in Malibu remain at home as the Palisades Fire continues to disrupt the area.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton announced Tuesday evening that Malibu schools, including Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle, and Malibu High, will remain closed for the rest of the week. The district aims to reopen schools on Tuesday, January 21.
Although an assessment of the campuses confirmed that the schools were not directly damaged by the fire, strong winds left significant debris, ash, and soot across indoor and outdoor spaces. The district’s maintenance and operations teams have been working to clean and restore the campuses to safe conditions.
Webster Elementary School was particularly impacted by the debris, marking the second time in a month the campus has been affected by fire. The school had only recently been restored following damage sustained during December’s Franklin Fire.
Superintendent Shelton extended gratitude to maintenance staff, stating in a district message, “We are so thankful for their tireless efforts in conducting thorough campus assessments and cleaning.”
Access to Malibu schools remains another challenge, as Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu Canyon, and Topanga Canyon are still closed as of Wednesday. “This presents a very difficult situation,” Shelton noted, adding that the closures hinder access for staff commuting from various directions as well as students relying on bus services. Malibu Pathway Executive Director Isaac Burgess is working closely with the City of Malibu Emergency Operations Center to monitor road conditions.
The district has outlined criteria for reopening schools, which includes safe road access via multiple routes, no threats from downed power lines, sustained utility services, and air quality that does not pose health risks. Schools must also be outside mandatory evacuation or warning zones.
A final decision on whether schools will reopen on Tuesday is expected following a meeting of district officials on Sunday. In the interim, families are encouraged to connect with teachers to coordinate a continuity of learning plan.
“The destruction the Palisades Fire has caused is unfathomable,” Shelton said in a statement. “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.”
In a related effort to support the community, Malibu High School’s Arlene and Dick Van Dyke Auditorium will host a City of Malibu town hall meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Seating is limited to 350 attendees, with a live stream link expected to be available in the coming days.
The wildfire has also disrupted operations at the Malibu campus of Santa Monica College, which remains closed as of Wednesday. While the college’s main campus and other satellite locations resumed in-person classes and services earlier this week, Malibu students must continue attending remotely.
Efforts to return students to classrooms in Malibu will hinge on ongoing fire containment, cleanup operations, and improving access to the area in the days ahead.
