The BHUSD Board of Education revised its policy on enrollment for students displaced by recent fires. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

After enrolling several dozen students from Palisades Charter High School whose homes were not destroyed by the fire, the Beverly Hills Unified School District changed its policy to only enroll students whose homes were lost in the fire or deemed “uninhabitable,” effectively denying more than 100 additional Pali High students from enrolling within the school district. In a statement, BHUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy said the district would stop enrollment for non-residents, with the exception of displaced families whose homes were impacted.

“To ensure that we can prioritize support for those most in need, under the direction of the Board of Education, effective immediately and for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year, BHUSD will welcome students who lived in fire-impacted areas and have lost their homes (or deemed [un]inhabitable), including homes within the 90272 zip code,” Bregy said.

According to Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Laura Collins-Williams, the district received a total of 151 requests from students from Pacific Palisades schools to enroll in the BHUSD after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order allowing students whose schools were impacted by the recent fires to enroll in other school districts. The Beverly Hills Unified School District enrolled 47 students, and then paused enrollment to evaluate resources.

Some parents of Pali High students claimed the district assured them that their students would be enrolled.

“My kids applied Day One, and they are still not in,” Pali High parent Sasha Noorafshan said at the board meeting on Jan. 28. “I was reassured, not to worry, you will take my children … And guess what? They won’t take my kids even though they processed their information.”

In a special meeting on Feb. 3, the BHUSD Board of Education determined that further enrollment would require the district to hire new staff. To avoid a strain on the budget, the district decided it would not enroll the remaining 104 students, and only enroll students whose homes were destroyed or deemed uninhabitable in order to comply with Newsom’s executive order. Additionally, students who relocate to Beverly Hills must be enrolled. According to Collins-Williams, the district sent out a questionnaire to the families of the 151 students and determined that the vast majority did not lose their homes. However, the district had already enrolled 47 students, without finalizing a method as to how they would prioritize enrollment. The final decision on prioritizing enrollment for students whose homes were destroyed came on Feb. 3, almost three weeks after Newsom signed the executive order.

“Since the executive order was issued, Beverly Hills Unified School District has welcomed nearly 50 displaced students into our schools,” Bregy said. “To continue providing a safe, stable and high-quality educational experience, we paused new admissions last week to carefully evaluate our staffing, facilities and classroom capacities. This assessment was necessary to ensure we can responsibly meet the needs of both current and incoming students. Conclusively, it was determined that with nearly 50 new enrollments, we have maximized the capacity of our current staffing. Any further increase in enrollment would require hiring additional teachers. We recognize this is an incredibly difficult time for families and our hearts are with those as they navigate the challenges of rebuilding and finding stability.”