As LAUSD launches its Summer of Learning program, families and teachers are raising concerns about smoke from the Boyle Heights warehouse fire, poor air quality across East Los Angeles, and how schools will keep students safe if conditions persist.
LAUSD is facing yet another problem among many it is already dealing with. This Monday, summer classes begin in the schools of the second largest district in the country. However, it is also facing an environmental emergency due to a fire at a warehouse in Boyle Heights.
Since last Wednesday, the incident has produced heavy smoke across Los Angeles County, especially in East Los Angeles. Authorities have asked families to stay at home, avoid going outside, wear a mask, and avoid using air conditioning. The environmental emergency continues.
District sources say they will prepare with air filters, which they already have from before, and families have been asked to prepare their children with special masks.
However, groups of families on social media have expressed concern since children are not particularly fond of wearing masks and tend to take them off, parents say. Teachers have also been asked not to use air conditioning, which could make indoor temperatures unbearable due to the high heat.
“Went to a summer school training in Highland Park and it was so bad. I really hope the district sends masks,” wrote a concerned parent.
“They should cancel classes,” another parent said bluntly.
If the environmental emergency lasts several days or even weeks, LAUSD schools usually adapt programming so students remain indoors without all activities being traditional academic instruction.
Some activities that can continue for long periods inside classrooms or school buildings include independent reading and small group reading, creative writing and storytelling, math through games and challenges, arts and creativity, theater and dramatization, among others.
All of this represents a major challenge for teachers, given the circumstances and the difficulty of keeping students engaged.
The LAUSD Summer of Learning 2026 program runs from June 22 to July 20, 2026, featuring academic support, credit recovery, and free enrichment activities. Free breakfast and lunch are available for all children 18 and under at participating school sites.
