LAUSD sees big drop in attendance Monday amid drenching storm

The Los Angeles Unified School District and some local colleges opted for a normal school day while other college campuses canceled in-person classes on Monday in response to the ongoing huge storm that's brought record amounts of rain to the greater Los Angeles area.

Although nearly all LAUSD campuses were open, the school district saw a big drop in student attendance.

During a mid-morning news conference with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other city and county officials, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said 63% of students attended school Monday — far below the average of about 92% on a typical day.

He said officials expected a drop in student attendance after telling parents on Sunday to use their judgment about whether it was safe for children to go to school given the road conditions in their areas.

About 90% of LAUSD teachers and other school staff reported to campuses, Carvalho said.

The average delay time for school bus routes was less than 30 minutes, but one route was hit with a 90-minute delay because the bus broke down, he said.

He stressed the importance of keeping schools open, saying he'd spoken to parents who were grateful that campuses remained open, including a single mother who had to go to work.

Besides academics, the breakfasts, lunches and snacks served at schools are, for some students, the only meals they receive during the day. About 80% of LAUSD students qualify for free or price-reduced meals.

“It's important beyond reading and mathematics, science and social studies for us to provide these indispensable, irreplaceable services to our students,” Carvalho said, saying keeping schools open was “the right call.”

All but two schools in LAUSD were open Monday, and students at those two campuses were directed to other campuses.

Students at Vinedale College Preparatory Academy in Sun Valley were rerouted to Glenwood Elementary, about 2½ miles away, while students at Topanga Elementary Charter School in Topanga were directed to Woodland Hills Academy in Woodland Hills, about 11½ miles north.

Vinedale and Topanga Elementary will both remain closed Tuesday, but all other campuses will be open.

The district made the call Sunday evening to close Vinedale College Preparatory Academy because the area was under an evacuation warning, and they later added Topanga Elementary Charter School to the list of school closures.

“Individual school closures, if any, will be determined based on safety and on guidance provided by City and County response teams,” the district said in a social media post on X.

For students unable to get to school due to unsafe road conditions, district officials said they should log onto Schoology, the district's online learning system, for access to educational materials.

Meanwhile, many Cal State University campuses chose to cancel in-person instruction on Monday.

Cal State Northridge, Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino canceled in-person classes, according to messages sent out to their school communities. Students were notified that courses could be shifted to online or be given alternative assignments by their class instructors.

It was also confirmed on Sunday that some other CSU campuses would at least partially close Monday, including at Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Long Beach. On the other hand, UCLA and USC announced Sunday that classes would be held as usual on Monday.