State Superintendent Thurmond Launches Fundraising Campaign to Support Schools Affected by Wildfires; California Department of Education Provides Resources in Response to School Closures

SACRAMENTO—As wildfires continue to devastate Southern California, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is urging Californians to come together in support of impacted students, families, educators, and school staff. Tax-deductible contributions can be made through the SupplyBank.org Disaster Relief Fund to help provide much-needed assistance.

The latest figures show that 335 schools from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and San Diego counties are closed, affecting more than 211,000 students. To help schools avoid funding losses due to closures caused by wildfires, the California Department of Education (CDE) is encouraging charter schools, school districts, and county offices of education to submit J-13A waiver requests. J-13A waivers are used in cases of emergency school closures to prevent the loss of attendance-based funding. More information can be found on the CDE Form J-13A web page.

“Our school communities desperately need our assistance as these horrific wildfires rage across Southern California,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “In times of crisis, Californians consistently demonstrate their resilience and generosity as we continue to deal with the effects of climate change. Let’s continue to unite and support those in need as they work to stay safe and rebuild.”

Superintendent Thurmond and the CDE have partnered with the nonprofit SupplyBank.org to collect and distribute donations and emergency resources to school communities that are facing the most significant impacts of the wildfires.

Since 2019, Superintendent Thurmond has led efforts to secure thousands of donations in response to natural disasters, providing critical support to impacted families and staff. These contributions have funded essentials such as housing assistance, gas cards, food, water, clothing, and school supplies. Through these initiatives, dozens of school communities have received aid following disasters, including wildfires, floods, and landslides.

To better address the growing frequency of environmental crises, Superintendent Thurmond established the Emergency Services Office within the CDE. This office ensures schools receive the emergency support they need to navigate disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and floods.

The CDE released updated School Outdoor Air Quality Activity Recommendations (PDF) last year, providing local educational agencies with resources to make informed decisions about conducting school activities and closures based on local air quality conditions when communities are impacted by wildfire smoke.

Additional resources for schools for emergency response and recovery can be found on the Resources from CDE web page. For questions regarding emergency response efforts or waiver submissions, contact the CDE Emergency Services Office at emergencyservices@cde.ca.gov.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100