Pacific Palisades parents concerned with cleanup efforts as students get ready for return to class

While some schools just outside of the Palisades Fire evacuation zones are getting ready to welcome students back on campus, parents of the Canyon Charter Elementary School student body are concerned that the cleanup efforts might not have been thorough enough. 

They say that campus officials haven't yet provided sufficient information regarding the steps taken to clean the ash and debris left behind by the massive fire, and that power was just restored to the area over the weekend. 

On top of that, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has placed the region under a "do not drink" notice, meaning that students couldn't even wash their hands if they needed. 

Nearly 400 students could return to the classroom as early as Wednesday, after the campus avoided the destructive blaze that destroyed multiple other schools and thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades. It did not go without feeling some sort of impact though, as noted by Alisa Rodman, a booster parent for the school. 

"I guess they're rinsing things down and wiping surfaces, but there's carpeting in these classrooms. I believe that needs to all be ripped out and replaced," Rodman said. "I'm most concerned that in 20 years my family will have mesothelioma or something from being exposed to these toxins."

KCAL News contacted Los Angeles Unified School District for more information, and they reported that students and teachers were both given options to attend another nearby school, Brockton Avenue Elementary School, in person or via Zoom. 

Rodman's family chose Zoom. 

"The teachers are not at Brockton. The teachers are Zooming in, so if you take your child to Brockton, it's really just a physical holding space for them," she said. 

 She's one of many who are hopeful that the district is able to quickly find a safe and alternative space to house the students while the necessary safety precautions are taken. If not, she says that they're prepared to use the booster club's account. 

"I love Canyon," she said. "I love the people there in the community that we have, but not at the risk of my kids' health."

There is still no definite date as to when the campus will be fully reopened, and a townhall meeting was held on Tuesday evening to address the issue.