Palisades Charter High students return to campus one year after wildfire

Students returned today to Palisades Charter High School for the first time since the January 2025 Palisades wildfire damaged roughly 30% of the school and forced the campus community into temporary classrooms at a repurposed Sears building in Santa Monica.

The reopening marked a major milestone for the school, which spent nearly a year operating off campus as students, teachers and staff navigated displacement and recovery following the fire.

Early Tuesday morning, students were welcomed back by student ambassadors, faculty members and the Pali High band, while parents, alumni and community members lined nearby streets to show support for the return to campus.

School leaders said the reopening followed months of environmental testing, cleanup and preparation to ensure the campus was safe for students and staff. About 70% of the school’s permanent buildings were not destroyed in the fire, allowing classes to resume on site while reconstruction continues on damaged portions of the campus. Roughly 30% of classrooms are operating in portable buildings.

Officials said the return to campus was intentionally delayed to allow for extensive air, soil and water testing, as well as remediation work inside affected buildings. Real-time air monitoring systems remain in place on campus as precaution, officials said.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates