Dear HUSD Families,
Today, I speak not only as the Superintendent of Hemet Unified School District, but as a resident of the City of Hemet by stating that I am deeply saddened by this tragedy that has struck our community. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, as well as all of those who have been affected by this fire. We are grateful for the firefighters, first responders, and countless others who have worked tirelessly to help those in need, and we wish them continued strength as they work towards containment.
Yesterday evening, our school district made the decision to close all Hemet Unified schools today. As we shared yesterday, “This decision was not made lightly, but after considering local authorities' advice and evacuation orders, transportation impacts, the current level of fire containment, and the possibility of power outages with anticipated high temperatures, we strongly felt that closing schools was necessary to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families.” (See yesterday’s communication here)
Today, we have continued to work with our local authorities to monitor and assess the situation. Unfortunately, at this time all Hemet Unified Schools will remain closed, through Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and until further notice.
Our hope is that our students can return to school soon; however, the closure will continue until conditions improve. We will update our families with additional information as it becomes available.
Dr. Christi Barrett
Superintendent