Public and private schools in Santa Barbara are typically thought of as two very different entities, but in the wake of the natural disasters that hit the county this winter, they’ve found new friends in one another.
As the Thomas Fire arrived in Santa Barbara in December, schools throughout the South Coast closed because of unhealthy air quality. When deadly debris flows hit Montecito in January, schools that were not affected by the disaster opened their campuses to displaced students and teachers looking for a classroom.
“The [best] thing you want to do for kids to help them is to bring back normalcy as quickly as possible,” said Suzanne Grimmesey, a spokesperson for Santa Barbara County’s Department of Behavioral Wellness. “So to not only be back in school, and be back in class, and be back with your teacher, gives kids a routine.”