Storm Hilary batters California after making landfall in Mexico

The nation’s second largest school district will be closed Monday because of Tropical Storm Hilary, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced Sunday.

“Tomorrow there will be no schools active across Los Angeles Unified,” Carvalho said in a city news conference.

“Everything will be shut down,” including after school programs and activities, he added. 

Carvalho, who came to the Los Angeles district from Miami-Dade Public Schools, has experience leading a large district through hurricanes and tropical storms.

The decision was based on the inability to fully survey schools and ensure the safe conditions of roads and other conditions, Carvalho said.

“We stand by our decision,” he said. “There is no way we can compromise the safety of a single child or an employee and our inability to survey buildings or our inability to determine access to schools, makes it nearly impossible for us to open schools.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District cover an area of about 700 square miles, meaning the geographical differences of affected neighborhood schools will vary greatly.

In nearby Pasadena, schools will also be closed on Monday, the Pasadena Unified School District said Sunday.

“With the safety and well-being of our students, employees, and their families as our highest priority, we have decided to close PUSD schools tomorrow, Monday, August 21, 2023,” the district said in a news release citing the flash flood, wind and storm warnings currently in place.

“We want everyone to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary travel or exposure to dangerous road conditions,” the district stated.

And schools in the San Diego Unified School District will also be closed on Monday, delaying the start of the school year, according to a news release.

“The San Diego Unified School District announced today that it will postpone the start of its school year by one day, with schools being closed to students on Monday, Aug. 21. Postponing the first day will allow the district to assess any impact to sites and offices and ensure they are prepared to welcome students and families to the new school year,” the release said.

San Diego Unified serves more than 121,000 students in preschool through 12th grade.