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2h ago

Marquez Elementary Reopens on Palisades Campus in Temporary Classrooms Nine Months After Fire

LAUSD says the site tested safe, with permanent buildings scheduled for completion in 2028–29.

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Marquez Elementary students leave campus following their first day back at their home campus since Jan.’s devastating Palisades Wildfire in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Overview

  • Students returned to the original campus in portable classrooms, with district busing from Nora Sterry Elementary and Brentwood Science Magnet and on-campus support services.
  • LAUSD reports soil, air and water tests show the grounds are safe and says environmental monitoring will continue during nearby cleanup.
  • Enrollment has dropped from about 310 before the fire to roughly 130, reflecting ongoing displacement of families and community disruption.
  • The temporary campus cost about $19 million as part of a $202.6 million rebuild that the district is fronting from a $9 billion bond while pursuing federal disaster relief and insurance reimbursements.
  • Marquez is the first of three fire-affected Palisades-area campuses to operate on its original site, with permanent facilities targeted for the 2028–29 school year as Palisades Elementary and Palisades High continue in alternate arrangements.