MILWAUKEE — A five-alarm fire broke out at Lincoln Avenue School in Milwaukee around a week ago, and the building has been declared a total loss. Milwaukee's Historic Preservation Commission voted Monday to approve tearing the building down, leaving the community hurting.
WATCH: Milwaukee community rallies after fire destroys Lincoln Avenue School
The fire's destruction extends beyond the building itself. The loss also means the destruction of supplies for the upcoming school year.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) says families can donate money through the MPS Foundation for classroom and teacher needs. School supplies can also be delivered to MPS Central Services during the week.
The district has scheduled virtual meetings for Lincoln Avenue School families on Thursday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to make sure their voices are heard. Those links should have already been distributed.
Community-wide meetings are also scheduled to gather feedback on options the district is considering. Those are set for Monday at 9 a.m. and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., with in-person and livestream options available.
Even as the community grieves, former students and neighbors are coming together to honor the school's legacy. Todd Gross, a former student at Lincoln Avenue School, created the Facebook group Spirit of Lincoln Avenue Elementary, bringing together more than 100 people with connections to the school.
"It's overwhelming to see how people come together and their experiences and what they got from the school. When I first started the group, this is exactly what I wanted to see. I wanted to see people bringing their stories together and there's so much that I have learned that is just absolutely just amazing," Gross said.
Gross says the group is about remembering and honoring the legacy of the school. He is also planning an event to bring together the community and honor the firefighters who worked to keep the community safe.
Gross says the community's strength is what will carry students and teachers through.
"The stronger we are as a community, the stronger we are as a nation. You know, so the more we lean on each other, feed off of each other, the stronger we are, and the students and the teachers, they'll they'll get through this," Gross said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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