Hundreds of educators and students have lost their homes and, in some cases, their schools, as wildfires incinerated wide swaths of Los Angeles. At last count, there were eight schools severely damaged or destroyed, but the wildfires, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, rage on.
The National Weather Service issued a warning for Los Angeles that conditions could lead to explosive fire growth.
So far, about 100,000 people are displaced.
In the Pasadena school district, where the Eaton fire has devastated neighborhoods, at least 300 school employees had reported losing their homes, Jonathan Gardner, president of United Teachers of Pasadena, told the New York Times.
Over 1,300 Pasadena school district staff members had homes within the burn zone, and the district is still gathering data to determine the exact number of students and families impacted, which is anticipated to be in the thousands.
As students and staff scramble to find housing and process their losses and trauma, Gardner said the months ahead will be difficult and unpredictable.
“There’s not going to be anything resembling normal for the rest of the semester,” he said.
The closest thing to normal for students is the routine and sense of community their schools provide, and many students and staff in other parts of the city returned to school this week. The Los Angeles Unified School District is the nation’s second largest district, serving more than 500,000 students.
As the disaster unfolds, the California Teachers Association and United Teachers of Los Angeles are organizing relief efforts for public school employees who need assistance:
