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Pasadena Unified School District to reopen campuses over two weeks – Jobsmaa.com

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The Pasadena Unified School District will reopen campuses in two-week phases with the goal of returning all students to in-person learning by the end of January as it recovers from the Eaton fire that destroyed several schools and forced closures. In all campuses.

District officials said at a board meeting Thursday night that an initial batch of schools will reopen on Jan. 23, bringing at least 3,400 students back into classrooms. Those schools include Hamilton Elementary School, Willard Elementary School, San Rafael Elementary School, Blair Middle School, Blair High School, Rose City High School, CIS Academy and a few facilities, Supt. Elizabeth Blanco.

Those schools — some of the least damaged in the district — must first pass environmental testing before they can reopen, he said.

Five school properties owned by the district were severely damaged or destroyed in the conflict that began on January 7. Among them, three charter schools leased campus space from the district: Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Aveson School of Leaders and Odyssey Charter School.

“We are considering their needs,” Blanco said at a news conference Thursday morning. “I know they need space too – we can't estimate where that space will be at the moment. But they're not forgotten and we're working on that.

Blanco, whose district includes 14,000 students — 10,000 of whom were evacuated from their homes — said several factors have slowed efforts to assess the damage, including the inability to access some schools within the evacuation zones. Overall, around 1,500 students are studying in the schools destroyed by the fire.

In a letter to Blanco on Wednesday, the leaders of four local charter schools noted that state law requires public school districts to provide available space to independent charter schools. They asked for immediate support for their students with temporary facilities and other demands.

Asked about Thursday's letter, Blanco said, “I think what they're trying to say is, 'You can't answer the questions that we need to answer right now.'

“I ask them to be patient knowing that our hearts are with them,” he continued. “They're part of a bigger plan.”

In addition to the charter school sites, the district-run Elliott Arts Magnet was damaged, as was Franklin Elementary, which is closing in 2020.

All 24 campuses in the district on Jan. Closed from 8. For those who survived the fire, several steps must be taken before students can be picked up.

The district is in the midst of a major cleanup, employing 1,500 workers who removed 10 tons of trash from the campus. According to state emergency services standards, sites will be reopened only after tests confirm they are safe.

“If they don't pass the environmental test, we have to clean them again,” Blanco said.

The superintendent said the second phase of school openings will bring another 5,400 students back into classrooms; The third phase will add another 5,000.

It is not known how many of the district's 3,000 employees lost their homes, but nearly 1,400 lived in evacuated neighborhoods.

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