Letter From The Superintendent’s Office
Dear Orange Unified School District Staff and Community,
With all Orange Unified School District campuses set to reopen Thursday, our Maintenance and Operations crews are working diligently to inspect every site that was closed as a result of the Canyon Fire 2, ensuring a safe return for both students and staff.
Athletic events, physical education classes and other outdoor activities will also resume based on the latest advisories from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Though fire vehicles may still be staged as a precaution in Anaheim Hills and East Orange, all evacuation orders were formally lifted Tuesday night.
The No. 1 priority of OUSD is to protect the safety and well-being of our students and staff, regardless of the circumstances. As such, the decision to close some campuses while others remained open followed careful deliberations with the Orange City Fire Department, Anaheim Fire and Rescue, Orange County Fire Authority and local police agencies. District representatives were part of the Incident Command Center, and we are incredibly grateful for the support we received from all participating agencies, including our city and county partners.
Suffice to say, everyone in OUSD has played a critical role in our response. Amid a complex and evolving situation, our staff calmly and carefully evacuated three campuses and followed reunification procedures to safely connect families with their children, who closely followed directions and adhered to the safety protocols we practice throughout the year.
Parents have also been extremely supportive in reinforcing the importance of staying indoors during school hours. School site principals and staff are making every effort to accommodate student needs throughout the day. Our maintenance and operations crews have been painstakingly working to ensure the air in our facilities meets the highest standards.
Today, our thoughts and prayers are with all of those whose lives have been impacted by devastating fires. While we hope we never have to face these kinds of tragedies, it is important that we routinely prepare for them, ensuring a response that is well-rehearsed, collaborative and based on proven strategies and best practices. I am extremely proud of our employees and their dedication to our community.
Warm Regards,
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Update on Canyon 2 Fire
Orange, CA – October 11, 2017 -12:45 pm -
All Orange Unified School District Schools will open tomorrow!
Thank You
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Update on School Closures for 10/11/2017
Orange, CA – October 10, 2017 -3:54 pm -The following schools will re-open tomorrow, Wednesday, October 11, 2017 for students and staff:
El Modena High School
Santiago Charter Middle School
El Rancho Charter Middle School
Out of an abundance of caution, the following elementary schools will remain closed tomorrow, Wednesday October 11, 2017 for students and staff:
Anaheim Hills Elementary
Canyon Rim Elementary
Chapman Hills Elementary
Linda Vista Elementary
Panorama Elementary
Running Springs Elementary
All other schools in Orange Unified School District will remain open tomorrow. Please reference the OUSD website for additional information regarding our schools.
Thank you.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Canyon Fire 2 Update
Orange, CA – October 10, 2017 -2:58 pm -Orange Unified Administration is currently in communication with the Emergency Command Center. At this time, we do not have any updates related to the status of re-opening the school closures. Once a status update is received, notification will be sent regarding any changes to the schools. The Orange Unified School District is committed to the safety of our students and staff, and we are working closely with fire and police agencies.
Thank you.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Orange Unified School District – Canyon Fire 2 Update
Orange, CA – October 10, 2017 -7:00 am - The Orange USD Family is heartbroken by the extensive impact the Canyon Fire 2 has had on our students in Orange and Anaheim Hills. We are eagerly awaiting news regarding the evacuation orders so families can return to their homes. Schools that remain open in Orange USD in the non- evacuated areas will be “safe spaces” for working families and students who can continue to attend school if desired. For schools that are open, nutrition and transportation services will continue to be available. Principals, teachers and mental health professionals will be available on site. Students with health related issues and sensitivities to smoke should stay home as the levels are very high.
Students and families who attend school can rest assured that there will be no outdoor activities. All after-school programs including athletic practices and competitions are cancelled until further notice. We encourage all students to stay inside and avoid strenuous activity.
Thank you to our staff and teachers who evacuated students and did an excellent job reuniting them with their families yesterday.
For those families who keep their children home or who have evacuated, there will be no adverse impact on attendance or grades.
Please continue to monitor the OUSD website for updates.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Students in Evacuated Areas
Orange, CA – October 9, 2017 -10:34 pm - After constant communications with fire authorities and the incident command center, nine schools were closed in the Orange Unified School District as a result of the Canyon Fire 2. Staff also evacuated three of those schools during the day to Canyon High School where all students were successfully reunited with their families. Students living in the impacted Canyon Fire 2 evacuation areas are not expected to attend school tomorrow so that they may focus on safety and security with their families.
District staff will carefully monitor air quality at the schools in Anaheim Hills and Orange which remain open and will ensure that students remain indoors. All sports and after school activities are cancelled until further notice.
District staff will continue to monitor the situation carefully. Our thoughts are with the many families and staff who have been affected by this significant fire which resulted in a state of emergency as declared by Governor Jerry Brown. Please consult the OUSD Website for more information. We will keep you updated as new information becomes available.
Orange USD School Closures
Orange, CA – October 9, 2017 -5:23 pm - The Orange Unified School District will close the following schools tomorrow October 10, 2017 due to the Canyon Fire 2:
Anaheim Hills Elementary
Running Springs Elementary
Canyon Rim Elementary
Chapman Hills Elementary
Linda Vista Elementary
Panorama Elementary
Santiago Charter School
El Rancho Charter School
El Modena High School will also be closed to students and staff.
The OC Sheriff and Orange Police Department Incident Command Center and Red Cross Evacuation Center are located at El Modena. The District staff continues to monitor the Canyon Fire 2 situation carefully and further updates will be provided when available.
The Orange Unified School District is committed to student safety and is working closely with police and fire in Anaheim Hills and Orange.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Orange Unified School District
Update Evacuation Alert
Orange, CA – October 9, 2017 -3:45 pm - All students evacuated from Anaheim Hills, Running Springs and Canyon Rim Elementary Schools who were transported to Canyon High have been reunited with their families. The Orange Unified School District is monitoring the situation carefully and will provide an update as to any school closures for tomorrow as soon as it becomes available.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Orange Unified School District
Update Evacuation Alert
Orange, CA – October 9, 2017 -1:50 pm - All students who were not already picked up by parents from Running Springs, Anaheim Hills and Canyon Rim Elementary Schools are currently at Canyon High School or en route with school personnel. Students can be picked up from the Canyon High School gym where food and water are available. The evacuation area has now been extended to east and south of Serrano in Anaheim Hills. The City of Orange has indicated an evacuation for Orange Park Acres. El Modena High School at 3920 Spring Street has been activated by the Red Cross as an evacuation center for the community. School Personnel at other non-evacuated schools in Anaheim Hills will cancel parent conferences to limit traffic in the area.
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
Orange Unified School District
OUSD Evacuation Alert
Orange, CA – October 9, 2017 -11:04 am - Anaheim Hills Fire and Rescue is recommending evacuations east of Weir/Serrano due to the Canyon Fire #2 located near the 91/241 interchange. The safety of Orange USD students is our primary concern, so buses are currently evacuating Running Springs Elementary, Anaheim Hills Elementary and Canyon Rim Elementary.
Students are being transported to Canyon High School Gym.
We are monitoring the situation closely and school personnel will be sending additional updates. Parents can contact Canyon High School with questions. Parents can expect to pick up children Canyon High School. All students are located in the Gym.
Canyon High School: (714) 532-8000
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The Orange Unified School District educates approximately 30,000 students in the Cities of Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and county areas. The school district, founded in 1953, encompasses 108 square miles. The District office is located at 1401 N. Handy Street, Orange, California.
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