Schools and offices in the Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed Friday as students, families and employees continue to grapple with effects of the wind-blown fires that have raged across Los Angeles.
L.A. schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho said the entire city is still dealing with a crisis.
“I was with the mayor and the fire chiefs last night during the press briefing, and it was surreal to see the Hollywood Hills fire start right in front of us, through the monitors,” Carvalho said. “The entire community is still under red alert.”
The school system made the announcement late Thursday morning to give those affected more time to prepare than they had over the previous two days.
“The issue is not kids being in school because of our investments in filtration systems, air conditioning units, the fact that we have [personal protective equipment] at schools,” Carvalho said. “The environment, the breathing environment, in schools, is better than what a lot of our kids would experience at home.
“The issue is getting to school. So you know, whether you’re walking a quarter of a mile, a half a mile, you’ll be exposed to this. That is the issue. It’s not the school itself. It is getting to the school that becomes a challenge.”
Hard copies of learning packets are available through schools and regional offices and the district has asked parents and students to go online, when possible, for academic assignments and enrichment activities.
On Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the district will distribute pre-packaged meals at 16 sites for students. District families may walk into any of these locations to receive two meals per student. This service is available only to Los Angeles Unified students and at the following locations:
- North region: Mulholland Middle School, Sepulveda Middle School, San Fernando Middle School, Richard E. Byrd Middle School
- East region: Hollenbeck Middle School, South Gate High School, Los Angeles Academy Middle School, John H. Liechty Middle School
- South region: Fremont High School, Harry Bridges Span School, Edwin Markham Middle School, Barack Obama Global Preparation Academy
- West region: Marina Del Rey Middle School, Sonia Sotomayor Arts and Sciences and Magnet, Berendo Middle School, Fairfax High School
The school system also will have mental health support available through a Student and Family Wellness Resource Line at 213-241-3840, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The district’s 75,000 employees can obtain help through the Employee Assistance Service for Education at https://www.lausd.org/domain/1438 or by calling the 24/7 support line at 800-882-1341.