LAUSD schools near Boyle Heights warehouse fire site take extra measures for back to school
It's the first week back for preschool students at Eastman Early Education Center, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District and about five blocks from the Boyle Heights warehouse fire.
Parents here say they feel good about the precautions the district has taken, such as deep cleaning, to get the youngsters back to their campus after a temporary relocation.
Today, 5-year-old Santiago spent the day inside, away from the foul odors.
"It is concerning even him right now that I picked him up, he was able to smell it, and he was like, 'Oh, it smells bad,'" parent Yesenia Perez said.
"I heard that they're gonna try and keep them indoors as much as possible, and they did replace air filters, and they have air purifiers."
The district has deep-cleaned campuses numerous times within a 3-mile radius of the fire over the summer.
Region East Superintendent Dr. Lourdes Ramirez-Ortiz said the school campus is the safest place for students. Extra precautions are being taken at Stevenson Middle School as well.
"We started with the first mile radius, then the second mile radius, now the third mile radius, providing those specialized filters and ensuring there is some testing," Ramirez-Ortiz said.
In all, there are 54 schools under extra protocol. More than 1,700 high-grade filters were installed, air purifiers were purchased for every classroom, and surfaces inside and outside were tested for heavy metals, ammonia, and toxins.
District leaders recently toured Eastman Elementary in East LA, as it's the closest to the fire site.
"Initially, when we arrived, the exterior smell was pretty potent, and yet when we were inside the classroom, with the filters, it felt fresh," Ramirez-Ortiz said.
The early days of school usually include inclement weather days because of the heat, and the district will now add them if there is a smell.
"We want to ensure the public that we also have pest control experts within our district and monitoring along with our plant managers, our various campuses, especially within the first, second, and third mile radius," Ramirez-Ortiz said.
Nurses will also be at all schools to monitor students' health concerns, and district representatives are going door-to-door to check on affected students.
