Due to continued downpours and potential overnight damage from Tropical Storm Hilary, all Los Angeles Unified School District campuses will be closed Monday, the superintendent announced Sunday.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district is not in a position to keep campuses open when it is unable to predict whether schools will suffer damage overnight or if conditions will devolve and make it difficult or impossible for students and staff to reach campuses.
“Our inability to survey buildings, our inability to determine access to schools makes it nearly impossible for us to open,” Carvalho said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.
He noted that some LAUSD students begin walking to school as early as 5:30 or 6 a.m., and some bus drivers report to work as early as 4:30 a.m., while adding that many district employees live long distances from their worksites.
“The prudent thing to do to avoid harm or injury to any one child or workforce member of LAUSD is to call off school,” he said.
All athletic activities and other third-party activities will also be canceled, he said.
Independent charter schools are also expected to be closed, but he urged parents to check with individual operators to verify their status.
Carvalho also said the district will establish 12 grab-and-go centers to distribute food to district students and families, many of which rely heavily on LAUSD food programs. Families will receive three meals for each student. Details of that distribution will be posted online, with the centers expected to be in operation Monday afternoon.
LAUSD teachers were asked to provide activities and resources on Schoology by 10:30 a.m. Monday. Educational resources are also available at LAUSD.org and KLCS will provide educational programming.
Multiple other school districts have also canceled classes for Monday, including several in the Santa Clarita Valley. Among those closing their doors Monday are Antelope Valley Union High School District, Anaheim Union High School District, William S. Hart Union High School District, Castaic Union School District, Newhall School District, Saugus Union School District and Sulphur Springs Union School District.
In Orange County, Monday classes were canceled in the Anaheim Union High School District and Anaheim Elementary School District. Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana will also be closed.
Cal State Fullerton canceled in-person classes for Monday, but online classes will be held as usual. Cal State Long Beach will move to virtual operations Monday, with in-person classes beginning as scheduled Tuesday.
The University of Southern California announced it will operate normally with classes for the fall semester starting Monday as scheduled.