Students will return Tuesday morning to a temporary campus at the site of Marquez Elementary, about nine months after it burned to the ground in the devastating Palisades fire \u2014 prompting celebration and some concerns as the school and the surrounding community struggle to recover. <\/p>\n
For the Los Angeles Unified School District, the quick return marked a signature accomplishment. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a total loss of an elementary school that had been the foundation of a very engaged community,\u201d Deputy Supt. Pedro Salcido said in a Monday media briefing. \u201cWe can reassure the community that it\u2019s a safe environment<\/a> for them to return to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited,\u201d he added, \u201cbecause it\u2019s a culmination of several months of rapid engagement and execution to really build a full campus for students.\u201d<\/p>\n Tiffany Ashrafi, the co-president of Friends of Marquez, which raises money for school activities, said she and others are \u201cexcited to come home\u201d to the campus. \u201cWe had over 20 parents volunteering to help as we return to school.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n The upheaval of the school community is reflected in its enrollment.<\/p>\n Before the fire, the school had about 310 students. The current enrollment is 130, a drop of 58%. Before the fire, about 85% of students lived in the school\u2019s attendance zone in Pacific Palisades. Now about 75% of the original enrollment is dispersed elsewhere, per the district\u2019s estimate.<\/p>\n A fast turnaround<\/p>\n The school district is offering bus transportation to Marquez from two other campuses \u2014 Brentwood Science Magnet in Brentwood and Nora Sterry Elementary in Sawtelle. Providing this busing was one of many elements considered in the complex project. <\/p>\n What made the temporary campus possible is the size of the Marquez property \u2014 about 7.75 acres. Portable bungalows now sit on the lower yard, leaving the upper yard as a construction zone for the permanent buildings, which are slated to be completed in the 2028-29 school year. And, in the meantime, there\u2019s still room for student play areas.<\/p>\n The cost of the temporary campus \u2014 about $19 million \u2014 made up about 9% of the the $202.6 million reconstruction project.<\/p>\n Officials said a survey shortly after the fire indicated that parents favored a quick return, even in temporaryedld just as many students as former campus \u2014 just in case families are willing and able to return.<\/p>\n The Palisades fire put three campuses out of commission<\/a> in the nation\u2019s second-largest school system. Marquez will be the first operating out of its original site even though it was the only one that completely burned to the ground.<\/p>\n Palisades Elementary was 70% destroyed and sits on a much smaller property. The historic portion that survived needed remediation and there isn\u2019t room for a temporary campus. The school continues to operate on the Brentwood Science Magnet campus. Enrollment has dropped from 410 before the fire to 307, down 25%.<\/p>\n About 70% of Palisades High School survived, but the buildings needed major remediation. Palisades High is an independently operated charter school and its administrators opted for temporary quarters at the former Sears building in Santa Monica. At the time of the move, enrollment had dropped about 500 students, nearly 20%. <\/p>\n The three projects are budgeted to cost as much as $600 million. The money will be fronted as required from the proceeds of the district\u2019s recent $9 billion construction bond \u2014 although the money was not originally for this purpose. Officials hope to obtain substantial reimbursement from federal disaster relief funds and insurance. <\/p>\n Concerns and conflict<\/p>\n District officials have posted data<\/a> they say verifies that the soil on the school grounds and the air are safe \u2014 and say they will continue to monitor as debris removal proceeds nearby. That reassures parents who see the school as a needed early step to rebuild the community. <\/p>\n Others want first to see more of a community to return to. The school is surrounded by empty lots. Many \u2014 but not all \u2014 are scraped free of fire debris from destroyed homes and businesses. The mini-market where 5th graders used to walk down the street on Fridays to get snacks after school is gone. <\/p>\n