Los Angeles Unified School District campuses were closed Monday following the deluge of rain brought on by Tropical Storm Hilary, but classes were expected to resume as normal on Tuesday.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced Sunday afternoon the decision to close campuses, saying the district was not in a position to keep schools open when it was unable to predict whether campuses might suffer damage overnight or if conditions would 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.
On Monday morning, Carvalho again defended the decision, saying it was a choice “informed by scientific data and conditions as they are presented to us.”
He said crews were still assessing campus facilities Monday, but early reports found that about two dozen campuses had no phone or internet service, and one campus experienced a minor mudslide. He said there were also access issues affecting campuses and district facilities in the Sun Valley area.
By late morning, the phone/internet service was restored at affected campuses, according to the district.
Carvalho said schools will reopen Tuesday on normal schedules.
The vast majority of independent charter schools in the LAUSD area were also closed Monday, with a few exceptions, so parents were urged to check with individual operators to verify their status.
The district will open a dozen grab-and-go food distribution locations between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, providing students and their families with three meals.
The distribution locations will be:
— South East Senior High, 2720 Tweedy Blvd., South Gate;
— Linda Esperanza Marquez Senior High, 6361 Cottage St., Huntington Park;
— James A Garfield Senior High, 5101 E. Sixth St., Los Angeles;
— Eagle Rock High School, 1750 Yosemite Drive;
— Panorama Senior High, 8015 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City;
— Sylmar Charter High School, 13050 Borden Ave., Sylmar;
— William Mulholland Middle School, 17120 Vanowen St., Lake Balboa;
— John C Fremont Senior High, 7676 S San Pedro St., Los Angeles;
— Phineas Banning Senior High, 1527 Lakme Ave., Wilmington;
— Robert E Peary Middle School, 1415 W Gardena Blvd., Gardena;
— RFK Community Schools – UCLA Community School K-12, 700 S. Mariposa Ave., Los Angeles;
— Marina Del Rey Middle School, 12500 Braddock Drive; and
— Thomas Starr King Middle School Magnet: Film and Media, 4201 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles.
Multiple other school districts 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 was also closed.
Cal State Fullerton canceled in-person classes for Monday, but online classes will meet as usual. Cal State Long Beach moved to virtual operations Monday, with in-person classes beginning as scheduled Tuesday.