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District reports school reopenings, air-quality measures and counseling outreach after Eaton Fire
Summary
La Cf1ada Unified told trustees it reopened campuses after the Eaton Fire, outlined MERV filter status and cleaning protocols, and described counseling outreach and short-term academic continuity steps for students affected by closures.
District staff told the governing board that campuses reopened as planned after the Eaton Fire and that custodial, maintenance and food services operations had been restored to support in-person instruction.
"Our air filters at all the elementary schools are MERV 13. At the high school, there's some MERV 13, but mostly MERV 11," Director of Facilities Barbara Bolivar reported, and staff said they had inspected and cleaned filters before restarting HVAC systems.
Why it matters: Board members and parents raised concerns about particulate matter and soot after the wind and fire events; district staff described daily monitoring of South Coast Air Quality Management District readings, surface cleaning of ash, and a deliberate policy of operating HVAC systems to recirculate conditioned air rather than bringing in outside air while soot concerns persist.
District staff said custodial crews had been cleaning outdoor equipment, hosing and raking fields, and avoiding blowers to reduce re-suspension of ash. Staff also reported a fine-grained approach to physical education and after-school sports: principals may stage indoor or period-by-period decisions on PE while air conditions are monitored.
On student supports, the district reported extensive counseling outreach. Executive staff said counselors conducted more than 1,000 routine check-ins and that a subset of students identified by parents as high-need received one-on-one follow-up. "A lot of kids just felt so good being back to school that it was like a two-minute, 'Are you good? I'm good,'" Superintendent Wendy said.
Learning continuity: Elementary teachers distributed emergency home learning plans by grade band to families; at the high school, teachers posted assignments in Google Classroom. Staff said they would place students who remain unable to return on short-term independent study contracts and then work case-by-case if students need extensions.
The board discussed mask availability, air purifiers and the district's request for local sensor data; staff said they had reached out to JPL to request local atmospheric sensor data and that internal experts advised against routine soil testing, recommending cleaning visible soot instead.
Ending: The board directed staff to continue monitoring air conditions, maintain cleaning and counseling operations, and return with an outcome update; trustees praised teachers, counselors and custodial crews for rapid response during the emergency and reopening.
