SANTA MONICA – On January 7th, 2025, fire swept through the Santa Monica Mountains and leveled The Pacific Palisades. Schools, businesses, cultural centers, and history of Southern California was wiped out within the first 24 hours. The fire, unfortunately, continued to burn for a week – ultimately displacing thousands of people and costing billions of dollars in damage.
One of the questions that needed an immediate answer was, “what to do with the students?” who were unable to attend the schools in the Palisades.
Lana Negrete, Mayor of Santa Monica, announced the City of Santa Monica, would welcome at least 2,000 displaced students to Santa Monica. The city decided that the vacant building that once housed Sears – near 4th street and Broadway – would undergo an emergency renovation and welcome the students until an alternative solution could be found – or they destroyed schools could be rebuilt.
One Santa Monica resident said he was happy the empty building would now be put to good use. “The old Sears building is in a great location in the heart of Santa Monica,” the man said. “Kids commuting from the Palisades can easily make the drive while those coming from other locations have easy access from the 10 Freeway,” he concluded.
On Tuesday, several thousand students used the – almost always empty – train to commute from their permanent homes or their temporary homes. The Palisades Schools are part of Los Angeles Unified School District. Many of the students at Pali High didn’t live in the Palisades as the school was a Charter school – meaning – kids from outside the area could attend.
At the end of the first week, the students attending school seem to be happy. One student said, “The fires were challenging for everyone and like obviously caused a lot of damage. But we move on. I’m happy to be back at school with my friends.”
One teacher told the media, “We have the experience of teaching online due to Covid, so we transitioned quickly while we prepared for the move to the new building. The kids are really happy now.”
