MILWAUKEE — Lincoln Avenue School teachers are getting help rebuilding their classrooms after a fire destroyed their school building in June.
For Angelie-Marie Soto, that rebuilding starts with a new classroom inside Casimir Pulaski High School.
“Now that it’s here and now that I’m decorated, it’s like, 'Oh, my kids are coming. I'm ready,'" Soto said with a smile on her face. “I’m excited.”
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Soto, a fourth-grade bilingual teacher, is preparing for her 11th year at Lincoln Avenue. She said she initially felt nervous about moving into a new space.
The fire forced Milwaukee Public Schools to relocate nearly 500 students and staff from Lincoln Avenue to dedicated space inside Pulaski for the upcoming school year. Students will have their own entrance, classrooms, and cafeteria.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation surprised teachers with storage tubs filled with supplies from their classroom wish lists. The supplies were donated with help from Lakeshore Learning and Office Depot/OfficeMax.
“Seeing how much people care... I was trying not to cry, but it’s hard,” Soto said.
Fifth-grade teacher Gustavo Yanez said the supplies will help teachers make the transition easier for students.
“Was not expecting to have all these materials. It is a blessing,” Yanez said.
Yanez said losing Lincoln Avenue felt like losing home.
“Lincoln to me was like my house,” he said. “When you’re on vacation, you think you’re coming back. Not having it is like, wow.”
Since the fire, community members have organized supply drives and other efforts to support the school.
About $30,000 has been raised for Lincoln Avenue’s recovery, which now sits in the school's fund, according to MPS.
MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the community response has been a bright spot following the tragedy.
“What came out of tragedy [is] a lot of inspiration and community coming together and making it happen for kids,” Cassellius said.
Soto said the building may be different, but the school community remains the same.
“Even though it’s a new building, we are still Lincoln Avenue, still Lincoln strong, and we will carry on,” she said.
The new school year begins Sept. 1.
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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