The Pasadena Unified School District will reopen campuses in phases over two weeks, with the goal of having all students back in classroom learning by the end of January, after the Eaton Fire destroyed several schools and forced closures. All campuses.

But school district officials did not provide specific details of the plan at a news conference Thursday or reveal details about how and where burned charter schools could reopen.

The district said in a statement that six schools are expected to open next week. The sites are scheduled to be named at a board meeting Thursday night.

Five district-owned school properties were severely damaged or destroyed in the fire that started Jan. 7. Of those, three charter schools lease campus space from the district: Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Aveson School of Leaders and Odyssey Charter School. The district has not discussed the future of those campuses.

"We are taking their needs into consideration," said the district police officer. Elizabeth Blanco. “I know they need space too – we just can’t assess where that space might be at the moment. But they are not forgotten and we are working on it.”

Blanco, whose district has 14,000 students, 10,000 of whom were evacuated from their homes, said several factors have slowed the effort to assess the damage, including a lack of access to some schools within evacuation zones. The school destroyed by the fire had about 1,500 students.

In a letter to Blanco on Wednesday, the superintendents of four local charter schools noted that state law requires public school districts to make available space to independent charter schools. Among other requests, they requested immediate support to find temporary facilities for students.

Asked about the letter Thursday, Blanco said, "I think what they're trying to say is, 'You can't answer the questions we need to answer right now.'"

"I want them to know that our hearts are with them as well and to be patient," she continued. "They're part of a bigger plan."

In addition to the charter school site, the district-run Eliot Arts Magnet school was also damaged, possibly beyond repair, as was Franklin Elementary School, which closed in 2020.

All 24 of the district's campuses have been closed since Jan. 8. For those campuses that survived the fires, some measures must be taken to allow students to return.

The district is conducting a massive cleanup effort, deploying 1,500 staff and has removed 10 tons of trash from campus. The sites can only reopen after testing confirms they are safe according to California Office of Emergency Services standards.

"If they don't pass environmental testing, then we will be required to clean them again," Blanco said.

It's unclear how many of the region's 3,000 employees lost their homes, but nearly 1,400 people live in evacuated communities.