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La Canada Unified board adopts reopening conditions, says any campus under evacuation warning will stay closed
Summary
The La Canada Unified School District board adopted a set of reopening conditions and directed staff to keep all campuses closed for the week if any portion of a campus remained in an evacuation warning area; the board set an 8 p.m. Wednesday checkpoint for parent notification about a planned Thursday reopening.
La Canada Unified School District trustees on Tuesday adopted a set of conditions for reopening school campuses after the Eden Fire and directed staff to keep campuses closed for the current week if any portion of a campus is under an evacuation warning.
The board voted to approve the recommended reopening plan “as amended” to limit the action to the current week and require staff to notify families by 8 p.m. Wednesday if campuses meet reopening conditions for the districtwide start planned for Thursday, January 16. The motion passed on a voice vote.
The plan lists four initial conditions for reopening: mandatory evacuation orders lifted, air quality consistently in the orange range or better, restoration of electrical power at sites, and campuses cleaned and cleared of debris. District staff added additional operational requirements including food-service readiness, availability of substitutes to cover classes, and connectivity for school operations.
Wendy, who initiated the presentation, said the district’s maintenance and operations crews had returned to sites and that power at school campuses was restored but intermittent in places. "We have our maintenance and operations crew back on staff at work today, taking care of all of that," she said. Jamie Lusader, Associate Superintendent of Technology Services, told the board that fiber damage had knocked out internet service at two campuses (PCY and LCHS) and described contingency plans that included temporary fiber, satellite, walkie-talkies and manual attendance procedures.
Board members and staff debated whether to reopen if a campus is partly inside an evacuation-warning zone. Dr. Deborah Pratick, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, recommended against reopening any campus that had any portion in a warning zone because a warning can escalate quickly to a mandatory evacuation and the district would not be able to remove students safely. "If campus is under warning, we shouldn't go to school," she summarized.
Trustees agreed that the district should act as a single unit: if any campus or portion of a campus remains inside a warning zone the district will remain closed. The board asked staff to use a Wednesday evening (8 p.m.) “go/no-go” checkpoint for communicating to families whether the district will reopen Thursday.
The board also instructed staff to continue contingency planning for connectivity, to ensure food services can place orders and restock kitchens, and to secure substitute coverage for displaced staff. Staff said they would keep working with vendors and the city to obtain repair timelines for internet service, and would run two daily communications updates at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Trustees said the direction covered only the immediate week; staff were asked to prepare contingency plans, including relocation options, should a school remain closed for a prolonged period. The board set a conditional special meeting for Sunday or Monday of the following week if campuses fail to meet reopening conditions.
Votes at a glance: The board approved the conditions-for-reopening amendment (voice vote; mover/second not specified in the public record).
