Marquez Charter Elementary Returns to Pacific Palisades Campus Nine Months After Devastating Palisades Fire

Pacific Palisades 9.27.25 - Nearly nine months after the Palisades Fire reduced Marquez Charter Elementary School's main campus to rubble, the K-5 charter school is set to reopen on its original grounds in temporary modular buildings on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the community's recovery from one of Los Angeles' most destructive wildfires.

The fire, which ignited on Jan. 7, 2025, amid extreme Santa Ana winds gusting up to 80 mph, rapidly engulfed parts of Pacific Palisades, destroying or severely damaging three Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses, including Marquez Charter Elementary and neighboring Palisades Charter Elementary. LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho described the scene as "unbelievable," noting that the blaze left Marquez's main office, original classrooms, and nearly all portable structures in smoking ruins, with only a few bungalows spared. The Palisades Fire ultimately scorched over 15,000 acres, claimed at least five lives, and destroyed more than 200 homes in the coastal enclave, forcing the evacuation of thousands.

Marquez, home to 312 students in grades K-5 before the fire, was completely destroyed, prompting an immediate and full relocation of its students and staff to Nora Sterry Elementary School in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Angeles. Classes resumed there on Jan. 15, 2025, after a week of intense coordination by LAUSD, which designated dedicated wings of the host campus to preserve the school's community intact. The arrangement allowed for continuity in instruction, with teachers transforming borrowed spaces into familiar environments despite the trauma. "We were onsite and could not believe what we were witnessing," Carvalho said at the time, pledging swift action to restore normalcy.

Throughout the spring and summer, LAUSD has invested heavily in recovery efforts, allocating $725 million from a $9 billion voter-approved bond measure to rebuild Marquez, Palisades Charter Elementary, and the partially damaged Palisades Charter High School-where about 30% of facilities, including athletic fields and classrooms, were lost. An additional $550 million is earmarked district-wide for fire-resilient upgrades, such as heat-resistant roofing and enhanced evacuation protocols, drawing lessons from the uneven destruction at Marquez, where some structures survived due to their materials. Debris clearance at all three sites was completed ahead of schedule by April 2025, thanks to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers support, paving the way for design phases that incorporated community input during virtual meetings in July.

The return to Pacific Palisades will initially welcome back about 180 students-roughly 60% of the pre-fire enrollment, accounting for families who relocated amid the disaster-along with the majority of the school's 25 teachers and support staff. Principal Elizabeth Timmerman emphasized the move's importance for rebuilding routines, with temporary buildings providing 12 classrooms, administrative offices, and a multipurpose space equipped with air filtration systems to address ongoing air quality concerns. Full reconstruction is projected to take two to three years, with community sessions planned to refine designs focusing on safety, accessibility, and sustainability.

Supporting the transition is the Marquez PTA and affiliated groups like Friends of Marquez, which have spearheaded fundraising drives to cover immediate needs. A dedicated Fire Fund has raised over $50,000 through online donations for classroom supplies, student relief, and family assistance, while a GoFundMe campaign launched by parent Bethany Daley collected $18,000 in the fire's aftermath to aid affected third-graders and educators. These efforts complement LAUSD's resources, funding extras like robotics program reboots-Marquez's award-winning team, which lost all equipment in the blaze, qualified for the FIRST LEGO League World Championships in May 2025 after rebuilding from scratch.

The reopening comes as LAUSD kicks off the 2025-26 school year, a poignant step forward for a school known for its ocean-view playgrounds and strong STEM focus. Board Member Nick Melvoin, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, affirmed the district's commitment: "We're going to rebuild, and there will be schools back in the Palisades." For families like those of fourth-grader Carter Reierson, who wondered post-fire if robotics "would ever happen again," the milestone signals resilience amid loss.