Laguna schools set to reopen Wed.

All Laguna Beach Unified School District campuses will reopen Wednesday, following two days of closures due to the threat of wildfires.

Anneliese’s Schools will follow the same closure protocols as the district, said Elise Higley, administrative grade school director at Anneliese’s.

St. Catherine Catholic School remained open this week.

The district will remain on high fire alert.

“School will be in session tomorrow, although we will be stepping down just one notch,” district spokesperson Darrin Reed said. “We will still be staging buses at Top of the World tomorrow.”

The buses will be kept at the ready should they be needed for an immediate evacuation.

Top of the World Elementary School, El Morro Elementary School and Thurston Middle School were closed Monday, following the Santiago fire’s advent the previous evening.

“Top of the World was the highest threat in this situation, with Thurston obviously being a threat as well,” Reed said.

The two sites are located on inland hillsides. El Morro Elementary also poses a risk, as it is located adjacent to a natural park.

Laguna Beach High School was originally kept open due to its more urban location.

The district decided Monday evening to add it to the closure list; all four school sites were closed on Tuesday.

“There were a number of different factors in the decision,” Reed said.

These included high winds and temperatures, low humidity and the approximate area of the Santiago fire, Reed said.

Conditions were unhealthy throughout the county, with particulates and smoke drifting west from the blaze.

The district made its decision after consulting with the fire department and city, as well as an independent fire consultant, Reed said.

All Anneliese’s Schools campuses except Aliso School on Wesley Drive were closed Tuesday. Aliso remained open for emergency childcare services.

The schools are directed by the fire department in emergency situations; they use the city’s summer trolleys to evacuate students.

Should an emergency occur outside Laguna Beach, all students will be sent to the schools’ Manzanita campus, 758 Manzanita Drive, or to the neighboring Laguna Beach High School.

In case of fires or emergencies within city limits, the children will be taken to an out-of-town location of the city’s choice.

For more information about district schools, call (949) 497-7700.