Students at STEM Academy in Los Angeles Unified work on a project inside a lab.
Photo courtesy of STEM Academy
A light 4.4-magnitude earthquake and an explosion rattled the Los Angeles Unified School District’s first day of school for the 2024-25 academic year on Monday.
District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at a news conference on Monday afternoon at Venice High School that no LAUSD buildings were damaged in the temblor, and nobody was injured.
He was only aware of one school — Woodrow Wilson High School — that had to evacuate.
Students elsewhere had to duck under their desks and stay far from windows. Meanwhile, Carvalho said LAUSD is working with the district attorney to investigate the report of a fireball and explosion near Jordan Senior High School on Monday. He said the explosion likely took place at an Atlas metal recycling plant.
The superintendent also addressed the progress LAUSD made this past year — and provided an overview of his goals for the year to come. School board Vice President Scott Schmerelson also weighed in, along with board members Nick Melvoin and Rocio Rivas, and other district officials.
“We know that for some of our students and their teachers that the summer felt too short, but we’re glad you’re here. We’re grateful that you’re in seats,” Melvoin said Monday.
“We have a lot of work to do to make this a successful school year and make sure that LA Unified is the greatest urban district, not just in the state, not just in the country, but in the world.”
Academics
On top of improved California Smarter Balanced Assessment scores across the board, Carvalho touted the district’s graduation rate, which he said was nearly 87% and the highest in LAUSD history.
He also pointed to the district’s Summer of Learning program, which he said was attended by roughly 120,000 students.
Schmerelson also briefly discussed adult education and emphasized the importance of recruiting more women into the district’s airplane mechanics programs.
“It’s free to our LAUSD students, and adult ed is free — and adult ed students are our students too,” he said.
Melvoin, meanwhile, noted that more than 14,000 students are enrolled in LAUSD’s transitional kindergarten (TK) program this year.
School facilities and transportation
Carvalho said LAUSD made history by having enough bus drivers on the road on the first day of school — with no substitute drivers needed. He added that the district hired more than 100 drivers during the summer.
The district also made its single largest acquisition of electric buses, 180. Melvoin added that LAUSD students receive a free Metro pass to help with transportation needs.
Carvalho also emphasized the importance of the bond measure the school board recently voted to add to the November ballot.
“Today’s earthquake underscores the need for our system to be serious… about seismic resilience,” he said Monday.
Melvoin added that the district will also be unveiling a new outdoor education center in January.
Staffing
Carvalho said on Monday that the district has a fully credentialed, certified teacher in every classroom this school year. Meanwhile, he said the district is currently home to an unprecedented network of health care professionals.
“The teachers are so welcoming,” Rivas said. “And the students were just so ready, ready to learn.”
