Los Angeles Unified School District board members approved a proposal Tuesday to move forward with plans to rebuild and restore two elementary schools and one high school in the Pacific Palisades affected by the Palisades Fire in January.
Marquez Charter Elementary was a total loss, and Palisades Charter High School experienced 75% damage, according to board documents.
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WATCH HERE“We know that there's going to be a great deal of cost escalation as a result of the tariffs. We're talking about steel, concrete, anything used to build, and we don't want to wait,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
Efficiency is key for LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, facing district-wide budget constraints, a drop in enrollment, including at some of those affected schools. The proposed work totals more than $604 million.
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SIGN UP "These expenditures qualify for immediate reimbursement, beginning with insurance coverage that may cover the lion's share of the cost. But then, we will seek federal reimbursement dollars through FEMA,” he said. "Considering we're talking about California, I hope there are no politics played as we seek these reimbursements from Washington D.C. It is the right thing to do, considering what people have gone through."
He also believes students and families will return to the Palisades, telling NBC 4 that demographers have estimated many longtime residents will not rebuild, creating room for families with young children.
School board member Nick Melvoin, who represents the fire-ravaged neighborhood, said he believes the Palisades will come back stronger.
“It's an idyllic community, ocean view and rolling hills, and I think it's going to build back more fire-resilient,” Melvoin said.
Some of the proposed projects would not be completed until 2029.
The plan includes creating temporary classrooms and offices for two schools while construction is happening.
“At Pali High and Marquez, we have bungalows dropped. We're doing the infrastructure, the water, the power, the safety testing to get kids back by the fall,” Melvoin said.
The district said it will continue testing to make sure health and safety are considered before students come back to campus during the cleanup, construction and rebuild.
