LOS ANGELES, CA – Educators and parents at Palisades Charter High School are racing to find a temporary learning space after the devastating Palisades Fire left the campus severely damaged. The wildfire, which has destroyed thousands of homes and structures across Los Angeles County, has left nearly 3,000 students without a safe place to continue their education.
School officials are urgently seeking large indoor or outdoor spaces where students and teachers can gather for classes while the campus undergoes rebuilding. Many of the affected students, who come from over 110 zip codes across Southern California, have also lost their homes in the fires, compounding the challenges faced by the community.
“The whole student body is devastated,” said Charlie Speiser, a Palisades Charter High student. “To see the community and the school burned down is just a horrific sight.”
Unlike schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District, Palisades Charter High operates independently and does not have access to district resources for emergencies. This has left the school reliant on community support as it searches for solutions.
“We don’t want these kids to be scattered to other school districts, and we don’t want them to go back to remote learning on Zoom,” said Negeen Ben-Cohen, a parent involved in efforts to secure a temporary relocation site. “We’re a public charter school, but we don’t have the financial resources like endowments or tuition dollars to immediately pay for another facility.”
In a statement shared on its Facebook page, the school emphasized the importance of keeping students, staff, and families united: “Our primary goal is to keep our community together during this challenging time, enabling students to continue their education alongside their friends, teachers, and peers.”
The school is urgently searching for:
- Temporary classroom spaces or campuses available for lease or donation
- Large indoor or outdoor spaces suitable for student and teacher gatherings
- Support from local organizations to assist with logistics and operations
- Volunteers to help with moving, setup, and coordination
- Access to athletic practice areas in the vicinity
As parents, staff, and volunteers scramble to address immediate needs, students like Speiser are highlighting the community’s resilience. “It’s a really hard time that we’re going through right now,” he said. “We need emergency funding because it’s so expensive. Although we’re spread apart, I’ve never seen our community more bonded.”
Donations to support the school can be made via the official fundraising link, and anyone with access to available spaces can contact the school directly at [email protected].
The fires have left an indelible mark on this coastal community, but Palisades Charter High officials remain hopeful that swift action and collective support will allow students to return to learning as soon as possible.
