More than 1/3 of LAUSD students did not attend school Monday amid relentless storm

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As an atmospheric river-fueled storm delivered a three-day-long soaking to Southern California, many Los Angeles Unified School District students stayed home during the height of the weather system.

According to the LAUSD, 82% of students went to school on Tuesday, up from 63% on Monday. More than 93% of teachers were at work Tuesday.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said earlier that 90% of district teachers, bus drivers and classified employees reported for work on Monday.

Malibu schools are set to reopen Wednesday, as will the Vinedale College Preparatory Academy in the LAUSD, officials said.

All Malibu schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District schools had been closed Monday and Tuesday. District officials had planned to reopen the Malibu campuses on Tuesday, but with multiple reports of mud and rock flows affecting canyon roads in the area, they reversed course Tuesday morning and opted to keep them closed.

All Santa Monica campuses in the SMMUSD remained open.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is visiting homes in the district to offer students and parents support as part of an effort to cut down on chronic absenteeism.

The Malibu schools are scheduled to reopen Wednesday. District officials said that if conditions necessitate another closure, the announcement will be made by 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Meanwhile, all but two LAUSD campuses -- Vinedale College Prep in Sun Valley and Topanga Elementary Charter School -- were open Tuesday. Vinedale will reopen on Wednesday, according to the LAUSD. But Topanga Elementary will remain closed, and students were instructed to again report to Woodland Hills Academy at 20800 Burbank Blvd.

Some California State University campuses were either closed or switched to modified operations Monday, but most returned to normal operations Tuesday. Students were advised, however, to continue checking with instructors and school officials to double-check the status of their courses.

The weather began relenting Tuesday and evacuation orders were lifted for homes in flood- and slide-prone areas, including a canyon in Los Angeles County that was scarred by a 2022 fire and left with little or no vegetation left to hold soil in place.

After a heavy cloudburst forecast for Wednesday afternoon or night that could bring another few inches of rain, Southern California was expected to begin drying out Thursday and heading for a sunny weekend.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.