The wildfires in early January disrupted education for more than 725,000 students and destroyed or damaged at least a dozen schools. Several school districts, including Alhambra Unified, Pasadena Unified, San Marino Unified and Glendale Unified, closed within the first few days of the fires. Schools in the central and eastern part of Los Angeles Unified School District closed due to power outages and poor air quality.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Jan. 14 allowing students to attend schools outside of their normal district boundaries. Most students moved almost immediately, with schools reporting a bump in enrollment in the first month postfires. Many fire-displaced students will remain at their new schools this fall.
The county does not directly track transfers due to the wildfires. The Times surveyed dozens of schools and districts and received detailed information for about 1,655 students displaced by the fires across 16 districts and 15 individual schools. In total, these schools are home to more than 132,000 students. The Times’ estimates are based on data through May 2025.
In the Los Angeles Unified School District, Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Charter Elementary were destroyed. LAUSD disenrolled at least 170 students, roughly 4% of total enrollment at the eight schools the district provided data for. Palisades Charter High School was significantly damaged and closed, with classes now held at the remodeled Sears building in Santa Monica. Officials at the charter school say the district lost 474 students after the Palisades fire.
Pali High students transferred to Mira Costa High and Beverly Hills High. Fifty-four students went to Santa Monica High, only a few blocks from the former Sears site where the school relocated to in the spring.
Roughly 321 students enrolled in six beach city school districts with the majority displaced by the nearby Palisades fire. Mira Costa High School enrolled the most students out of any school that responded to The Times, with 107 students. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District accepted 135 new students in their district, with nearly half of those being elementary students.
The Village School, a private elementary school in the Palisades, was destroyed and is temporarily in Santa Monica. The school reports that just under 20% of families left the area. Those who did not relocate are committed to the school: 96% of them reenrolled for the 2025-2026 school year.
Glendale Unified School District took in 51 students, while La Cañada Unified took in 60. The influx of students from the fires has slightly increased class sizes at some schools in Glendale Unified, but a district representative said they’ve added teachers and adjusted staffing accordingly.
“We’re committed to welcoming every family displaced by the fires with quick enrollment, school placement and the support they need to feel at home and succeed,” said a representative for Glendale Unified.
Los Angeles Unified Education Foundation supported teachers and schools in affected areas with classroom materials, community wellness events and mental health support for students, teachers and families, according to a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson.
It’s unclear how many of these students will stay put as the new school year begins. In June, LAUSD approved a $604-million plan to rebuild Marquez Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary and Palisades Charter High School by the end of 2028. But most students displaced by the fires will have aged out before classes can return to their campuses.
The rebuild will reduce Marquez Elementary’s classrooms from 37 to 22 and Palisades Elementary from 26 to 24. Pali High will remain in the Sears building for the fall semester. Marquez Elementary students are sharing a campus with Nora Sterry Elementary in Sawtelle, while Palisades Elementary students will stay at the Brentwood Sciences Magnet.
