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City of Santa Monica, CA

04/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/22/2025 15:22

Palisades Charter High School resumes in-person learning in downtown Santa Monica

April 22, 2025 1:59 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 22, 2025) - The city of Santa Monica Tuesday welcomed more than 2,500 students, faculty and staff from Palisades Charter High School to a new temporary campus in the heart of downtown Santa Monica.

Students resumed in-person learning for the first time since the devastating Palisades Fire severely damaged the school's home campus in January.

The temporary "Pali South" campus, at the former Sears building at 302 Colorado Ave., took shape in just one month of construction thanks to a coordinated and expedited effort from city staff, Pali High administrators and the school's architects and contractors.

"I'm thrilled to welcome students and families who have endured so much over the past few months, and it was so special to see the smiling faces of students and teachers arriving this morning to our city," Mayor Lana Negrete said. "It is amazing to be able to play a part in bringing the Pali High family together again at this new campus and I hope it brings them a sense of normalcy and comfort as our region continues to rebuild and recover."

Students will be at Pali South through the end of the school year on June 6, then return after summer break for the fall semester.

Santa Monica's Community Development, Police, Fire and Transportation departments have worked around the clock over the past several weeks, coordinating construction plans and approvals through an expedited process made possible by a council-approved emergency order. The process focused on ensuring the safety of the campus while getting students back to school as quickly as possible.

To welcome the new students, the city and Santa Monica Travel & Tourism have also coordinated with many local businesses to offer special deals for high school students.

"It has been a monumental effort to bring a school with this many students so quickly to a city center," Community Development Department Director Arminé Chaparyan said. "We are honored to be able to support wildfire survivors and also show how we can think creatively about Santa Monica's commercial spaces."

The city also worked closely with the school and other local partners to implement a robust transportation plan that includes public transportation, student drop off and pick up and overall traffic management.

Pali South is easily accessible via the Big Blue Bus and the Metro E Line Downtown Santa Monica Station.

"Undoubtedly, it will be busy in the mornings and after school, just like any area with schools as large as Palisades High," Department of Transportation Director Anuj Gupta said. "Our plan is in motion and working well so far, and we will continue to observe and adjust as students settle into their routines. We're grateful to our entire community for being patient and understanding as we support these students' return to in-person learning."

Palisades Charter High School is the fifth school affected by the Palisades Fire to temporarily relocate to Santa Monica. The city of Santa Monica's Palisades Fire emergency order, approved by the City Council in the first days of the fires, enabled Pacific Palisades schools to relocate to commercial spaces in the city.

The other relocated schools include Village School at the Colorado Center, St. Matthew's Parish School and Calvary Christian School at the Water Garden, and Seven Arrows Elementary School at Santa Monica Business Park.

For more information on Pali High's downtown Santa Monica campus, see the Community FAQ.

For more on Santa Monica's response to the Palisades Fire impacts, visit santamonica.gov.

Media Contact

Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov

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