For the first time in more than a year, the hill on which Palisades Charter High School stands was awash with students Tuesday, an early morning homecoming for a school community still recovering from a year of upheaval after the Palisades fire maelstrom damaged and shut down the popular campus by the sea.
Parents decked out in the blue and white colors of the Pali High Dolphins lined the entrance and cheered on their teenagers. They raised pompoms and signs that read “Welcome Back!” Their campus has long been the pride of the Palisades, a public school with a strong enrollment that draws students from nearby neighborhoods and a wide swath of Los Angeles.
Many of the students looked a bit groggy amid the 7:30 a.m. hoopla, another change to their routine. Yet they mustered small smiles and waves walking into campus after the long absence, grappling with an array of emotions.
“So much has changed for all of us,” said junior Roxi Bakhtari. “It was kind of crazy to resume where we were. … My history teacher actually had the writing on his whiteboard from our last day here a year ago.”
Senior Alice Amorim reflected on the expanse of her time away — about a quarter of her high school career.
“I feel a little sad, actually,” she said, “I’m only getting half of my last year. … It feels like I’m visiting the campus as someone who graduated already.
On the opposite end of this spectrum, freshman Oscar Lopez was seeing his school for the first time.
“I was never at this campus ever to begin with,” he said. “I’m really excited to actually have a football field” and “actually be in a high school for the first time.”
On Saturday, Oscar would be able to make up for lost time at the postponed homecoming dance — on campus. He said he was ecstatic not only to participate in the big traditions but to “go to a regular high school class.”
The massive reopening effort
In the immediate aftermath of the Palisades fire — which destroyed or damaged about 30% of the campus — the school operated online for four months, a trying flashback to COVID-era distance learningas families and students were dealing with the trauma of the fire disaster.
Some fire-displaced families moved away; enrollment dropped to 2,450 from 2,900. The school then moved to temporary quarters in a former Sears building, where some parents expressed concerns about crowding, security, ventilation and lack of green space.
With their home campus inaccessible, students roamed to various athletic facilities throughout town for practice and games. For a time it was uncertain whether the Dolphins could even field their football team; 10 players lost their homes. The team rallied and held its first “home” game at Santa Monica College’s Corsair Field in the fall.
To reopen relatively quickly — before reconstruction was completed — Pali High made strategic use of the campus’ expansive grounds — essentially converting green areas, notably the baseball field, into land for temporary buildings. The plan calls for students to use the approximately 70% of structures that were damaged by smoke but not flames.
The full $266.6-million restoration project, which will include a new classroom building and a restored baseball field, is expected to be finished by the third quarter of 2029. Creating a temporary campus on the site while permanent construction proceeds cost $30 million, according to district officials.
Palisades High is an independent charter school governed by its own board. The L.A. Unified School District, which used to operate the school, is essentially the landlord and has taken the leading role in remediation and reconstruction in close consultation with the school’s leadership.
The main quad and class building on campus remained largely intact after the fire. Roxi said the school is almost exactly as she remembers it.
Some parents and students wondered why it took so long to get back to a campus that, to them, looked mostly unharmed. But others worried about smoke contamination as well as a proposed return to a visibly fire-ravaged area.
The fire deposited soot and ash onto the surviving buildings.
The Los Angeles Unified School District released extensive test results to show that remediation efforts had removed all fire-related contamination.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power tested the drinking water for contaminants, and environmental consultants tested the soil, HVAC systems, indoor air and surfaces including floors, desks and lockers.
Experts commended the effort as one of the most comprehensive post-fire school remediations. However, some cautioned that the district failed to test for a key family of air contaminants that can increase cancer risk and cause illness.
Last Friday, LAUSD requested that L.A. Fire HEALTH Study, a consortium of multiple universities and hospitals studying post-fire contamination and its health effects, complete an independent assessment of the testing data.
Struggling for stability
It has been an unstable year for most students, despite the efforts of administrators and the district, said Suzanne Hudson, a parent of a junior. The Hudson family was displaced after the fires, and it has been difficult to provide the sense of stability her children need, she said.
Hudson said she was appreciative of the school’s quick action regarding temporary facilities that allowed the school to reopen.
“We have a standing but toxic house that we haven’t been able to return to, so this has kind of paralleled our displacement,” Hudson said of the campus closure. “It’s incredibly meaningful after this year of displacement, for them to be back to somewhere that represents something both familiar but also new opportunities.”
District 4 School Board member Nick Melvoin was at Palisades Charter High the day after the fires began, and said he remembered the state of disarray in clear detail. A return to normalcy was important, Melvoin said.
“To be able to tell these kids ‘it will be a normal school day’ is just amazing,” Melvoin said.
For Principal Pamela Magee, reopening day was one of “happy stress.”
“The journey, we’re not completed with at this moment, but this is just a pivotal moment in the path,” Magee said. “As far as getting our Dolphins home, it feels amazing to be able to welcome them back to their campus.”
Through all the congratulations and chaos, the students trudged into classes, welcomed home by the Pali High Band. But a reminder of the disaster, which still affected many of their lives, was parked outside: a Los Angeles Fire Department vehicle.
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