The school is encouraging families, alumni and neighbors to gather along Temescal Canyon Road to cheer as students and staff arrive
Palisades Charter High School will return to its home campus on Tuesday, Jan. 27, marking a major milestone nearly one year after a historic wildfire severely damaged the school and displaced students and staff.
The return date was confirmed this week in a post shared on the school’s official Facebook page, where administrators announced that students and staff will resume learning on the Palisades campus and invited the community to participate in a welcome-back celebration.
The school is encouraging families, alumni and neighbors to gather along Temescal Canyon Road near Bowdoin Street at 8 a.m. Tuesday to cheer as students and staff arrive. Organizers asked attendees to park nearby, avoid campus parking and remain on sidewalks during the event.
The return follows months of recovery after the wildfire tore through the Palisades, causing extensive damage to school facilities and forcing the campus to close. In the aftermath, Palisades Charter High School relocated to a temporary site known as Pali South, housed in the former Sears building in Santa Monica.
In a statement released last week, Executive Director and Principal Dr. Pam Magee described the wildfire as a loss that extended beyond physical structures, disrupting the community’s sense of stability and security. She praised students and staff for adapting to the temporary campus while maintaining academic performance and extracurricular programs.
Magee noted that student-athletes continued to compete and win championships, while performers and artists sustained music and creative programs in improvised spaces. Instruction continued throughout the transition despite the challenges of a dramatically different learning environment.
“The milestone is more than a move — it is a testament to our shared commitment and the belief that, together, we can overcome anything,” Magee said in her message to the school community.
Students began the current semester at the Santa Monica site earlier this month.
