It’s been months since the Los Angeles wildfires uprooted families from their homes and left parents scrambling to find a school for their children to attend. Now the dust has settled, and families have had some time to adjust to a new home or move back into the homes they evacuated. So this fall, everything can go back to normal — right?
For children, school is a place of predictability and routines. It’s where their friends are. It’s where their teachers know their personalities and their needs. While the new-ness of being displaced has largely worn off, kids returning to school in the fall still face challenges.
Where are Kids Going to School this Fall?
Five schools were completely destroyed by the fires, and several others were damaged, which displaced over 700,000 children and teens. Many of these students were reassigned or enrolled in a different school; others switched to virtual learning while temporary structures could be put into place. Some might have moved to an entirely new neighborhood with their families, and with it, a new school.
Los Angeles Unified School District lost at least 89 students, while Pasadena Unified School District lost around 420 students.
Two schools in the Palisades, Marquez Charter Elementary School and Palisades Charter High School, are working to reopen to students for the fall. Portable classrooms are set up on both campuses. Some parents are concerned about their children’s safety in going back to school in an area devastated by wildfire. The district has stated extensive testing will be performed before students are allowed on site.
How Are Schools Preparing for Kids Affected by the Fires?
Schools play a crucial role in helping kids find a sense of stability and normalcy. The faster children are able to return to their routine, the better their emotional and academic outcomes.
Los Angeles can learn lessons from the past as a means of moving forward. Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, many schools already have virtual learning systems in place. Schools in Sonoma County impacted by the 2017 Tubbs Fire learned how to screen students for anxiety. They partnered with nonprofits and health clinics to provide mental health support for their students.
In Los Angeles, students resumed classes, albeit in their new, temporary locations, by the end of January 2025. Early on, teachers were cautious of students’ mental well-being. They didn’t mark tardy arrivals until weeks after the fires, and they refined their lesson plans to only the essential parts. Teachers noted that a few months later, their students were back to a more normal school day.
These efforts show clear progress: Pasadena Unified School District noted an increase in math and reading in elementary and middle school students between the August-September (2024) and March-April (2025) assessment periods, even though 10,000 of its 14,000 students had to evacuate due to the Eaton Fire.
How Can You Help Your Children for the School Year?
Back to school this fall might mean more than just shopping for supplies and getting the calendar in order. Parents and caregivers might think that being months removed from the fires, their kids can go to school in the fall without incident related to fire trauma. However, just because the fires are over doesn’t mean that there aren’t effects that could last months or even years.
Lotus Rising has previously provided steps for talking to kids in the more immediate aftermath of the disasters. Here are some additional suggestions for helping your kids transition into the new school year.
For Young Kids (ages 2 to 5)
- Young kids are dependent on their caregivers, so it is important, to the best of your ability, to remain calm. If you seem overwhelmed or anxious, your kids will react to that emotion.
- Establish regular routines. You might have fallen out of a regular routine over the summer, and the beginning of the school year is a great opportunity to re-establish routines or create new ones (e.g. have regular mealtimes and bedtimes, have a bedtime tradition such as reading a book or singing a lullaby).
- Watch your kids play or ask about pictures they draw as a lens into their experience at school. You can even ask simple questions like “How was your day at school today?” to open up conversations.
- Create a “good-bye routine” to help them with the transition when you drop them off at school. It can be as simple as a hand gesture or a short song.
- Watch out for warning signs. If you notice your child having tantrums, experiencing fearfulness like being afraid of the dark, showing regression behaviors like thumb-sucking, or disturbances in daily activities like eating or sleeping, these might be signs your child needs extra support.
For Elementary School Kids (ages 6 to 11)
- Elementary school kids also need routines and normalcy. Give your child opportunities to make choices during these routines, like having them select a book before bedtime, which will help them feel more in control.
- Ask questions. Use mealtimes to ask questions about school or what they might have heard from their friends. Answer their questions honestly but keep responses short and to the point. If your child isn’t talking or asking questions, open the door by sharing your own feelings without giving a ton of detail.
- Use screen time wisely. You can use apps geared toward building skills like emotional regulation. Clinical psychologist Dr. Adrienne Heinz, who herself was impacted by the Tubbs Fire, created a mobile app with tools for managing emotions like stress and anger. Dr. Heinz said, “It can’t just be up to them to be resilient.”
- Build resilience skills. As Lotus Rising has reported, we cannot just assume that children are innately resilient. We can, however, enable them with tools, like the Safety Plan app, to help build resiliency.
- Watch out for warning signs. Increased anxiety about going to school, academic problems, difficulty interacting with friends, or refusing to talk are indications your child might need more help getting acclimated to the new school year.
For Teens (ages 12 to 18)
- Talk to teens. Yes, it can be challenging. Teens have more of a tendency to put on a brave face even if they are struggling, or they might want more independence from their parents. To communicate more effectively, child psychologist Dr. Willough Jenkins suggests making sure that your teen is talking more than you. If you are doing most of the talking, then it’s not a conversation anymore - it’s a lecture.
- Start with a question — something open-ended like “How do things feel at school (or with your friends) right now?” Then, take a pause and really listen to what your teen is saying. This process creates a safe, low-pressure space for your teen to share.
- Use the commute to and from school as an opportunity for conversation. Many students might have moved to a new neighborhood but are still attending their old schools (or their school’s temporary set up), so you and your kids might spend more time in the car than you are used to.
- Watch out for behavior changes including mood or sleep changes, engaging in more arguments, avoiding friends or family, academic problems, or participating in risky behavior. Consider a peer group if your child could use some extra support.
Additional Resources for Helping Kids Go Back to School
This fall, many kids will go back to their old schools and see their familiar teachers and friends. Others might return to a school they started after being displaced by the fires. Still others might be attending a new school entirely. The level of support your child needs depends on your unique situation.
If you’re struggling to find ways to help you and your children cope with the start of the school year:
- see resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- look into support groups in your area
- contact the LAUSD telehealth services
- talk to your child’s teacher
- check out Lotus Rising LA’s list of community resources
Disclaimer: The content shared in our blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
