May 12, 2023

Gov. Newsom proposes increased funding for flood preparation, mitigation and recovery

Gov. Newsom announced a series of flood mitigation measures in the May revision of his budget proposal, totaling $492 million. None of those measures specifically addresses the unique challenges California's K-12 schools face when a community is flooded.

Emma Gallegos

April 5, 2023

California schools face 'deep trouble' as flooding danger looms

Heavy storms, a record Sierra snowpack and aging and weakened levees are putting communities across California at risk of serious flooding this spring including 1 in 5 schools.

Thomas Peele, Emma Gallegos, And Daniel J. Willis

April 5, 2023

How a Central Valley school district prepares for the terrifying threat of disastrous flooding

Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified is preparing not just its employees, students and families, but the entire community for the threat of a flood caused by a melting record snowpack.

Emma Gallegos

April 5, 2023

What's your California school's flood risk?

FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer makes a flood risk assessment for every school. The analysis labels 1 in 5 of California schools in a moderate or high flood risk.

Daniel J. Willis

March 7, 2023

Students at rural community college can earn a bachelor’s and help prevent wildfires

Feather River College is the latest of California's community colleges to get approval for a bachelor's degree program.

Michael Burke

December 1, 2022

LA schools grapple with ban on nearby homeless encampments

New rule against camps adjacent to schools is controversial and unevenly enforced.

Kate Sequeira

October 6, 2021

Emergency response team helps California schools navigate wildfires

The California Department of Education formed its Emergency Services Team last October to help schools deal with emergencies like wildfires.

Diana Lambert

August 12, 2021

Wildfires delay beginning of school year for some rural California schools, some for the second year

Raging wildfires have become an annual threat to school districts in California's rural regions, and this year they are disrupting reopening plans.

Diana Lambert

September 29, 2020

Even when the smoke clears, schools find student trauma can linger

Schools can serve as a hub for an entire community after a disaster, experts say.

Carolyn Jones

August 25, 2020

California wildfires add angst to distance learning

Massive wildfires have become an annual event in California, and they are the first test of how schools can handle a crisis while distance learning.

Diana Lambert And Theresa Harrington

August 22, 2020

As one University of California campus is evacuated due to fires, others revise fall reopening plans

On top of coping with threat of coronavirus, UC Santa Cruz is evacuated Thursday due to fires.

Louis Freedberg

November 20, 2019

Schools keep hiring counselors, but students’ stress levels are only growing

Shootings, fires and social media have left students stressed and anxious. Counselors say it’s hard to keep up.

Carolyn Jones

November 5, 2019

California schools closed for unprecedented number of days due to fire, power outages

Hundreds of schools were closed for multiple days in October, leaving school districts worried about losing instruction days and state funds.

Diana Lambert

November 1, 2019

As fires rage, pressure mounts to train California’s next generation of forest stewards

Similar to other STEM fields, employers in California’s natural resources industries are in need of a larger and more diverse pool of applicants.

Sydney Johnson

October 31, 2019

California parents and educators help students cope with fire trauma, again

Schools and colleges across the state have had to shut their doors this week due to smoke, power shutoffs or direct fire danger.

Ashley A. Smith and Sydney Johnson