What to know: Palisades Charter High School comes to Downtown Santa Monica

April 17, 2025 4:09 PM
by City of Santa Monica

On April 22, Palisades Charter High School will begin holding in-person classes at the school’s new temporary location, dubbed “Pali South,” located at the site of the former Sears building at the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue, 302 Colorado Ave.

Since the devastating wildfires destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades, including portions of the Pali High campus, Santa Monica teams have worked around the clock to assist schools, businesses and residents from impacted areas with their relocation efforts to Santa Monica.

Thanks to an emergency order approved by the City Council and dedication from city staff across all departments and cooperation and partnership from school leadership, the city has been able to help students at Pali High and other schools get back to in-person learning as quickly as is safely possible.

The school will hold classes at this new site through the end of the school year on June 6, then return to campus after summer break for the fall semester.

Pali South’s school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and lets out at 2:46 p.m.

Also nearby in the area, Santa Monica High School has a similar schedule.

Peak traffic is anticipated between 7-8:30 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. Those who don’t need to be in the area during these times are encouraged to avoid traveling there during these peak periods.

The first week of the new activation of this previously vacant corner will undoubtedly come with learning and adjusting. We appreciate the community’s patience as we observe and address traffic flow, drop off and other logistics at this new campus.

As we all prepare to welcome Pali High to downtown Santa Monica, below are some important details for students, parents, residents, businesses and their employees to prepare for the change in patterns downtown.

HOW WILL STUDENTS GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

Pali High’s student population comes from all over the region, comprised of families from nearly 100 different ZIP codes.

Students will arrive:

By public transit on the Metro E Line, Metro buses and Big Blue Bus
With their parents/guardians at the drop-off and pick-up lot located behind the downtown Metro E Line station, via the entrance on 5th Street
Via nine private charter buses sponsored by Pali High parents, with drop off inside the Pali South site
By car, with limited parking passes for students and school staff on school days for Parking Structures 5 and 6
Walking, biking, scooting from various locations

The city’s mobility team, in partnership with GoSaMo, the city’s Transit Management Organization, and Pali High leaders have been in close coordination to assist students and parents with transportation options.

Students, parents and anyone else traveling to the downtown area in the coming two months should give extra time for their commutes, think about avoiding peak times and explore non-driving options.

For personalized help with trip planning, GoSaMo offers online appointments. You can also reach them at (213) 425-0955 or Info@GoSaMoTMO.org.

Santa Monica has developed a traffic and mobility plan to make the transition as smooth as possible. This includes deploying changeable message boards, traffic safety personnel and adjusting signal timing for the best flow of traffic.

For the safety of all, please do not double park, stop at red curbs or stop at bus stops surrounding the school site.

Follow all traffic laws and avoid actions that may put your safety or the safety of others at risk. Use crosswalks and be aware of your surroundings as you make your way around the area.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Public transit to downtown Santa Monica via the Metro E Line or Big Blue Bus is an easy, stress-free and affordable way to go.

These options are free for all students with a registered GoPass and offer a great way to access the new downtown campus. Students can contact their school’s administration for a free GoPass TAP card.

From the E Line Downtown Santa Monica Station, Pali High students can walk south into the drop off/pick up lot to access a pedestrian tunnel that will allow them to safely cross under 4th Street directly into the Pali South parking lot.

Discount rates and passes are available to city employees, income-qualified residents and many others. Find more information at metro.net.

Big Blue Bus and Metro are also free for all riders on Pali South’s opening day, in celebration of Earth Day.

Download the Transit app for iOS and Android to plan your trip via BBB and track your ride in real-time, or use Big Blue Bus’s online trip planner at bigbluebus.com/planner.

CHARTER BUSES AND LIMITED PARKING IN DOWNTOWN STRUCTURES

A limited number of parking passes are allocated to students and teachers on school days from April 22 through June 6 in Parking Structure 5, at 4th Street and Broadway, and Parking Structure 6, at 2nd Street between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard.

For those walking to campus from parking structures or otherwise, the front entrance of Pali South is the glass door along Colorado Avenue.

Private charter buses will bring many students to school from the region, as was also the case at the home campus. These buses will drop off students near the main entrance to the school site, entering and exiting through the driveway on Colorado Avenue.

CARPOOLING & DROP OFF/PICK UP

The drop off and pick up lot for Pali High will be the Metro drop off area located across 4th Street from the campus.

This lot is designed for brief stops and for active loading and unloading only. Cars waiting or parked in the lot will be asked to exit.

The best way to access lot is by exiting the I-10 West Santa Monica Freeway at 4th/5th Street in the right lane to turn onto 5th Street. Then merge to the left lane and turn left into the driveway of the parking lot.

Please note that there are no left turns from 5th Street onto Colorado Avenue when exiting the drop off lot.

From the drop off lot, students can access the pedestrian tunnel to safely cross 4th Street directly into the Pali South campus.

For a less congested drop off option, park at the metered parking on Main Street in front of City Hall and Tongva Park and have your student walk to school from there. And all city-owned Downtown Santa Monica parking structures are free for the first 90 minutes, so parents are also encouraged to explore pickup at those lots.

Drop off, parking or waiting are not permitted along 4th Street or Colorado Avenue.

Students can ride the Metro E Line a short distance from nearby stations at Expo/Bundy, 26th Street/Bergamot or 17th Street/SMC.

The Expo/Bundy Station is recommended for a faster pick up and drop off experience and to alleviate congestion in the downtown Santa Monica area. Take the Metro E Line three stops to and from the Downtown Santa Monica Station.

Metro will deploy additional ambassadors at the Expo/Bundy and Downtown Santa Monica Stations to help students with directions and provide assistance.

For commuters driving into downtown, exiting at the Lincoln Boulevard offramp may provide a smoother route. It may also be beneficial to adjust arrival and departure times, if possible, to avoid the morning and afternoon peak times.

Also of note: One lane in each direction will be closed on Lincoln Boulevard on April 21 and 22 between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. This may cause impacts if exiting the freeway at Lincoln.

WHERE CAN STUDENTS EAT OR HANG OUT BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL OR WAIT TO BE PICKED UP?

Santa Monica businesses are excited to welcome Pali High students! Go here for a list of local business specials and deals for students.

Access a list of all downtown businesses here. For list of places to eat at Santa Monica Pier, click here. And fun things to explore, click here. Any Santa Monica businesses who would like to submit a “Welcome to Santa Monica, Pali High!” special, can do so here.

Physical education classes during the day are set to be held at Historic Belmar Park and the city of Santa Monica has helped facilitate after school sports, meetings and other activities at various parks, libraries and city facilities around town.

Santa Monica’s Main Library is just a few blocks away from Pali South, at 601 Santa Monica Blvd., and offers many free resources and spaces for homework and studying ― open Monday through Thursday until 8 p.m. Find more at santamonica.gov/library.

We invite students and parents to spend a bit more time in Santa Monica to avoid the traffic and enjoy what the community has to offer.

The city hosts many free and low-cost arts, sustainability, and cultural activities and other classes and programming that all are welcome to attend. Visit the city’s website and events page for more!

WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR SECURITY AT AND AROUND THE PALI SOUTH CAMPUS?

Santa Monica Police Department personnel are in close coordination with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who oversees Metro public safety, to coordinate efforts at the E Line station. There will be an added security presence at E Line station and in the area around the campus/drop off lot.

Big Blue Bus's Transit Safety Officers are stationed on high-traffic routes and at select bus stops, to assist riders with navigating the system and addressing safety and maintenance concerns.

Downtown Santa Monica Ambassadors will also have an added presence around the Pali South campus, outside the E Line station and in downtown parking structures to assist with questions, security concerns and wayfinding.

The Pali South campus will be closed to the public. Students, teachers and school staff must show official school identification to get onto campus. Pali High will provide security personnel and campus aides to help answer questions and ensure everyone gets to school safely.

The pedestrian tunnel beneath 4th Street will only be open to students during arrival and dismissal. Students must stay on campus during school hours. Only seniors are permitted to go off-campus for lunch.

The Pali South campus will have 24/7 onsite security and will be closed outside overnight.

Santa Monica Police can be reached on the non-emergency line at (310) 458-8491.

HOW DID THE PERMITTING PROCESS WORK UNDER THE EMERGENCY ORDER?

Student safety was the number one priority throughout the planning, permitting and inspection process for the temporary Palisades Charter High School location at the former Sears building.

The city’s emergency order allowed for permitting and construction to occur concurrently for school sites to expedite these relocations. But all local and state building safety codes and regulations remain unchanged and were adhered to at the Palisades Charter High School site. All final inspections took place before students and teachers began classes.

The building meets all fire and building code requirements. City officials confirmed that all fire life safety systems in the building are up to date and there is adequate exiting for the overall capacity of the school. The city has issued final building permits and certificates of occupancy for the site.

HOW WILL THE CITY ADDRESS ISSUES OR CONCERNS?

Santa Monica traffic, transportation, planning and public safety officials will monitor the Pali South opening weeks and make adjustments to traffic plans and other logistics as necessary.

To report a concern, email 311@santamonica.gov.

WHERE CAN I FIND SANTA MONICA NEWS AND RESOURCES?

Register for SM Alerts to stay informed in the event of road closures, police activity, natural disasters or other emergencies within the city of Santa Monica.

Follow the city of Santa Monica’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and Bluesky.

HOW CAN MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA GET MORE INFORMATION?

Contact the city of Santa Monica’s public information officer: tati.simonian@santamonica.gov.

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City of Santa Monica

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