Wildfire evacuations delay start of Lake Tahoe Unified school year again

Lake Tahoe Unified School District has further postponed the start of the school year to at least Sept. 13.

The district, which originally was scheduled to begin the school year Aug. 30, first postponed the start of school until Sept. 7 because of the Caldor Fire burning through El Dorado County.

Since that announcement the fire has continued to burn toward South Lake Tahoe, causing the evacuation of the area on Monday. District officials said they will monitor the wildfire and provide an update to families no later than Sept. 6.

“This is a serious situation with many variables and the safety of our staff and families is at the forefront of all decision-making,” Superintendent Todd Cutler said in a letter to families on Monday. “As long as the majority of our district boundary is under any kind of evacuation alert, school operations will be suspended.”

The district serves 3,725 students in four elementary schools, one middle and one high school in South Lake Tahoe.

The Caldor fire has burned more than 210,000 acres in El Dorado and Amador counties. The fire, which is 25% contained, started near the community of Grizzly Flats almost three weeks ago.

Donations to the CDE Emergency Response Fund can be made on its GoFundMe page. The funds will support schools impacted by the wildfires. A fund has also been set up by the El Dorado Community Foundation to help residents who have been impacted by the Caldor Fire.