Palisades Charter High returns home Tuesday, marking a new chapter in fire recovery

Palisades Charter High School will return to its main seaside campus Tuesday morning, more than one year after the deadly Palisades fire destroyed nearly 40% of the school and forced students and faculty into temporary classrooms during extensive reconstruction and environmental remediation.

The reopening marks a defining moment for the Pacific Palisades community, signaling not only the physical restoration of campus facilities but the emotional return of daily rituals, shared spaces, and a sense of continuity that was abruptly disrupted last January.

“Our displaced families and students had their lives suddenly and dramatically upended last January,” said state Sen. Ben Allen, who represents the area. “I’m hopeful this return can finally provide the important sense of familiarity and normalcy that they’ve been waiting for, for over a year now. I want to thank all administrative staff and local leaders who have come together to make this happen, as well as everyone who helped transition the old Sears building in Santa Monica into a temporary classroom.”

The Palisades fire, which ignited on Jan. 7, 2025, destroyed nearly 7,000 homes, businesses and other structures. With at least 12 people killed, tit is the deadliest in Los Angeles’ history and the third-most destructive ever for the state. Jonathan Rinderknecht has been charged with setting the fire that grew into the massive inferno.  The blaze burned alongside the equally disastrous Eaton fire, largely in Altadena and the San Gabriel Valley.

For more than a year, Pali High students attended classes at the repurposed Santa Monica retail site while the Palisades campus underwent rebuilding and remediation. The return represents a milestone not just for education operations but for a community that has navigated displacement, disruption and recovery together.

“This is an important milestone for a community that has been displaced for over a year now,” Allen added. “Getting our kids back to their home campus provides an important sense of normalcy that has long been missed. I’m grateful to all administrative and local leadership who helped get us here, as well as everyone who helped transition the old Sears building in Santa Monica into a temporary classroom.”

On Tuesday morning, students will be greeted by faculty, student ambassadors and the Pali High marching band as families, alumni and neighbors line the streets to welcome the campus back to life.

Among those helping lead the community welcome is the Palisades Recovery Coalition, which will provide coffee to parents and community members gathering outside the school as students arrive.

“As a third-time Pali High parent and someone who has been deeply involved in this community for many years, I couldn’t be happier to see our beautiful campus full of life again,” said Maryam Zar, leader of the Palisades Recovery Coalition, and CEO of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. “So many Pali High students, teachers, and administrators were personally impacted by the Palisades Fire and their return is a powerful testament to the strength of this community and the fabric that binds us together. We will recover. And the return of Pali High marks the beginning of that road.”

Zar described the reopening as both joyful and reflective, acknowledging the emotional weight carried by families who lived through evacuation, loss, and uncertainty.

“Palisades Recovery Coalition is proud to be part of the tapestry that makes this community strong,” she said. “For that reason, we will be out there not only cheering on the students and families as they return, but also providing coffee to the community lining the street to welcome them back. Our board members and officers are among the families returning. This is a beautiful and bittersweet moment for us.”

School administrators emphasized that the reopening represents months of coordination across agencies, contractors, educators, and local leaders to ensure the campus is safe, operational, and ready to welcome students home.

For many families, Tuesday’s return will mark the first time in over a year that students walk through familiar hallways, gather in shared spaces, and reclaim the rhythms of campus life that define high school experience.

As the first bell rings once again at Palisades Charter High School, it will signal more than the start of a school day. It will mark a community stepping forward together into recovery, renewal, and a long awaited return home.