What you need to know: Classes resumed in person at Palisades Charter High School today at a new temporary site in Santa Monica. All eight public schools that were damaged in the fires are now back to learning in person.

LOS ANGELES - On April 22, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed Palisades Charter High School students back to school as they returned to in-person learning at a new school site – a former Sears location in Santa Monica that has now been converted to house the entire student population of more than 2,400 students at a single campus.

The school has been engaged in remote learning since the deadly Southern California fires that ignited in January severely damaged their school site in Pacific Palisades.

“I’m happy to welcome the administrators, educators and students of Palisades Charter High School back to in-person learning. While this home is only temporary until we can get them back to their regular site, the partnership and collaboration between state and local officials to get this new site up and running shows the spirit of our recovery. This is an important step forward for the Palisades community as we rebuild and rise together.” - Governor Gavin Newsom

Debris removal at the original Palisades Charter High School was completed last month, and with Palisades High School now returning to in-person instruction, all eight public schools that were damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fire have resumed in person instruction. 

Supporting schools and getting kids back into the classroom quickly has been a priority for the Administration from the first days after the fires. Previously Governor Newsom signed an executive order to accelerate getting California children back in a classroom, assist schools.

The Governor also directed that school sites be prioritized in the debris removal process so that rebuilding can start quickly and safely. When state and federal partners launched the structural debris removal process in February the announcement was held at a school site that had already been cleared.