Roughly two-thirds of its 14,000 students lived in evacuation zones and 50 percent of its 2,739 employees evacuated. As of May, 987 families and 120 employees had reported losing their residences during the Eaton Fire, which sparked on Jan. 7 and burned for 24 days. Countless others were displaced, and five school sites were either destroyed or significantly damaged.
The upcoming summer edition of California Schools magazine features the article “Lessons on wildfires: LEA leaders share experiences and advice for navigating disaster,” which includes more on Pasadena USD’s experience during the Eaton Fire, recovery efforts and how the community found bright spots in the remainder of the academic year.
A common theme that emerged in interviews with the LEA and board members from other districts is the importance of having plans in place to address needs as quickly as possible and best support students and staff. The PUSD Superintendent’s Leadership Team shared its Wildfire Recovery Framework, which may serve as a helpful reference to LEA leaders looking for a starting point for their own plans.
- Safety and damage assessment
- Conduct site inspections to assess structural damage to schools and district facilities
- Coordinate with emergency responders and city officials for hazard mitigation
- Secure unsafe areas and provide temporary learning spaces if needed
- Communication and coordination
- Establish a central command for crisis response
- Provide timely updates to families, staff and the community via multiple platforms
- Partner with local agencies and nonprofits for immediate support services
- Student and staff well-being
- Deploy counseling teams to support affected students and staff
- Identify and assist displaced families with emergency housing and supplies
- Implement emergency meal distribution for impacted families
- Instructional continuity and facilities restoration
- Develop and implement enrollment and independent student options for impacted schools
- Prioritize repairs and facility restorations based on severity and safety assessments
- Secure emergency funding and insurance claims for soil testing and rebuilding efforts such as additional portables for expanded space at co-locations
- Community and staff support
- Provide trauma-informed training for educators to support student recovery
- Establish support groups and mental health services for affected staff and families
- Work with community partners and agencies to provide assistance for displaced families
- Infrastructure and environmental resilience
- Rebuild facilities with fire-resistant materials and sustainable practices
- Upgrade air filtration and HVAC systems to address air quality concerns
- Update evacuation and emergency preparedness plans for future incidents
- Academic and social-emotional recovery
- Implement targeted interventions for students who experienced learning loss
- Expand social-emotional learning programs to build student resilience
- Foster partnerships with local universities and organizations for continued support
- Policy and funding advocacy
- Advocate for state and federal funding for long-term school recovery
- Work with state agencies and policies for disaster preparedness and response based on lessons learned from this and other wildfires
- Engage with community stakeholders to develop a district-wide resilience plan that addresses declining enrollment, maintains the fiscal health of the district and aligns with the facilities master plan
“By implementing this structured approach, PUSD can effectively recover from wildfire impacts while strengthening future preparedness and resilience for the entire school community,” said Superintendent Elizabeth J. Blanco.