Village Relief

List of 20 items.

• How many families, staff, and teachers have been affected by the fires?

  The tragic Palisades Fire not only destroyed our school that was home to 290 students, but it also displaced 125 students, who either completely lost their homes (82) or were forced to evacuate (43). We also, sadly, had 4 teachers and 1 administrator lose their homes.

• Where is the new interim campus?

  We are pleased to report that our interim campus will open on Monday, January 27 on the second floor at 2401 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, which is also known as Colorado Center. 

• What is the anticipated schedule for the interim campus?

  School will start at 8am, with carpool/bus drop-off starting at 7:30am. 

  No walk-ins at this time.

  Dismissal will occur at 3pm, with aftercare offered until 5pm.

• How are you working to address traffic mitigation and safety at this new campus?

  Carpool drop-off and pick-up will safely occur in an enclosed, contiguous space away from any major traffic flow. All of these instructions will be conveyed in a separate email to our community.

• Do you have a plan to address the weeks of lost learning due to the Palisades Fire?

  We know our students and their learning profiles well, and we know how to adapt their learning to meet the challenges of this unprecedented event. Our learning objectives have not changed and we are confident that we will get our students where they need to be by the end of the third trimester. 

• Is spring break being cancelled or postponed?

  No. We will be utilizing the spring break (March 24-April 4) to make physical improvements to our interim campus to ensure that our students and teachers have all of the resources they need to thrive, learn, and play. By postponing this construction we were able to meet the January 27 reopening date. We will not be making any changes to our school-year calendar or summer break schedule.

• Will you still be offering bus services?

  Village bus services will restart on Tuesday, January 28 with routes and stops that have not been impacted. You should have already received an email if you indicated that you are interested in bus services.

   

  With routes that have been impacted, we are working around the clock to develop new routes for your family. Transportation will reach out to you directly with new hub information by Monday, January 27. 

   

  For those who will not be utilizing bus services, we will communicate all carpool instructions as soon as those are finalized. Questions? Email us at transportation@village-school.org.

• What is the uniform policy going to be?

  For the first 2-3 weeks, we will have free dress and uniforms will be reintroduced once we have built up Village Vintage and can ensure families have access to the uniforms their children need. To help rebuild our Village Vintage offering, we will be collecting all gently used and washed uniforms on campus. For more information, please contact our Village Vintage Team:

  
           Cynthia Wallingford: 310-430-4626
           Kira Sadaka: 917-757-3791
           Mimi Chen: 818-669-8279

• How is Village monitoring air quality inside the new location?

  How is Village monitoring air quality inside the new location?

  Village’s new home maintains high indoor air quality standards through proactive measures and active maintenance protocols to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff, and parent visitors. Comprehensive air quality testing is conducted regularly. Our new location is equipped to conduct in-house air sampling as needed, undergoes two third-party verifications for accuracy, and is subject to monthly, quarterly, and annual air quality testing.
  
  

  In addition to the comprehensive mitigation measures already in place, Village has proactively invested in more than a dozen state-of-the-art Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max and 211i Max air purifying units. We remain committed to continuously monitoring environmental conditions and will acquire additional purifiers as necessary to ensure the health and safety of our community.

• Is Village monitoring air quality outdoors as well?

  Is Village monitoring air quality outdoors as well?

  Village School will follow the Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on air quality and outdoor activities for schools, as well as monitor the City of Santa Monica’s Air Quality Index. Although we do not have plans to make adjustments at this time, we will continue to closely monitor conditions as they evolve and communicate with families if things change. 
  
  

  Our library space is a viable spot for recess if remaining indoors is a family choice at this time. Please communicate plans directly with your child’s teacher, so that we may provide appropriate coverage.

• Is it safe to drink water at Village’s new location?

  Is it safe to drink water at Village’s new location?

  We are monitoring the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health closely, and at this time Santa Monica has not been included in any water advisory orders. However, our new space is equipped with filtered water systems throughout, and we recently replaced water dispensers with new filters. 

• May I send my child to campus in a mask?

  May I send my child to campus in a mask?

  We completely understand that some families may feel more comfortable sending their child to school wearing a mask, and we welcome you to do so. We encourage you to talk with your child about your expectations regarding mask-wearing.

• Will our children still have a playground to utilize?

  Yes! Colorado Center has a basketball court, playground, large grass areas, and many outdoor spaces we will be able to utilize. 

• Will you have security?

  Absolutely. We take our responsibility to provide a safe environment for every student, teacher, and staff very seriously. In addition to our own resources, BXP, the campus operator, has 21 security guards on staff. Additionally, we will have three dedicated security guards to monitor students while using outdoor spaces. Village will also have a private security guard on-site at our location.

• Will you be offering after-school enrichment and Grade 4-6 team sports?

  We are working with our internal teams and outside partners to get this programming back on track as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this important offering. Separately, we will continue to provide aftercare until 5pm. 

• Will my kids have a separate bathroom than the office population?

  Yes, students will have access to three exclusive school-only designated restrooms within our building. 

• Will you be offering hot lunch services via Fresh Lunches?

  Lunch service will be available beginning on our first day back. You can use your same login credentials as before at https://lunchbox.freshlunches.com/login.

• Will School Dismissal Manager still be in place?

   Yes, we will still be using Dismissal Manager. More details to come. 

• My address has changed and/or I have a new mailing address. Where can I update this on the Village website, or who do I contact?

  Please contact Mitzy Velez at mvelez@village-school.org for any updates regarding address changes.

• This displacement has been incredibly difficult for my family, and I may need financial aid or flexibility. Do I have options?

  Regarding tuition relief and re-enrollment for the 2025/26 school year, we are working on a plan to help all our families in need and will share more details as soon as we can. In the meantime, should you need support or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to TJ Harney directly (tharney@village-school.org).