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Los Angeles Unified School District Closures
- All LAUSD schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, January 9 due to ongoing wildfires in LA County.
- Students will have digital access to academic resources at lausd.org/learningcontinues.
- The district will assess the situation over the next 24 hours and prepare for possible online learning on Friday, with a decision to be made by 4 p.m. Thursday.
School Damage
- Two schools, Marquez Elementary and Palisades Elementary, were completely destroyed by the fires.
- 30% of Palisades Charter High School was damaged.
Available Resources
- Meal distribution: LAUSD will provide meals for students at eight locations (two per region) from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday.
- Mental health support: Students and families can call the Student and Family Wellness Resource Line at 213-241-3840 for support.
- Employee assistance: Employees can access Employee Assistance Service for Education (EASE) by visiting lausd.org/domain/1438 or calling the 24/7 support line at 800-882-1341.
Wildfire Updates
- Multiple wildfires are burning in LA County, including in Pacific Palisades, Sylmar, and near Pasadena.
- Over 44,000 people are under evacuation orders in Sylmar due to the Hurst Fire.
- Homes have been destroyed, and 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders due to the Palisades Fire.
- A “very preliminary” estimate suggests that insurance losses from the Palisades Fire could reach around $10 billion.
Other News
- The NFL announced that Monday night’s wild-card playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium will go ahead as planned, with a contingency to move the game to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona if necessary.