Milwaukee Lincoln Avenue School fire; Monday meeting details
Milwaukee Lincoln Avenue School fire, next steps
Answers about what is next for Lincoln Avenue School are emerging. Milwaukee Public Schools leaders just laid out a plan for students and staff to relocate to Pulaski High School this upcoming school year. It comes after a massive fire destroyed the building on June 30.
MILWAUKEE - Answers about what is next for Lincoln Avenue School are emerging.
Milwaukee Public Schools leaders just laid out a plan for students and staff to relocate to Pulaski High School this upcoming school year. It comes after a massive fire destroyed the building on June 30.
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Where will students go?
What we know:
The district answered questions from parents on Monday, and details emerged on how the district plans to operate Lincoln and Pulaski – separately – despite being under the same roof. This was the first public meeting. It was already known that they were going to relocate to Pulaski, but details on what that looked like were unknown.
Milwaukee Lincoln Avenue School fire; community meeting
Milwaukee Public Schools held a meeting for the community on Monday, July 13 at the Boys & Girls Club at Rogers Street Academy, in the aftermath of the 5-alarm fire June 30 that destroyed Lincoln Avenue School.
"One of the really important pieces of healing when you have a tragedy like this that you have continuity of learning and that the programs don’t change," said MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius.
The district said its reasons for picking Pulaski High School include it being the closest option in terms of location to Lincoln Avenue – roughly a mile-and-a-half away – and the space allows the entire school community to stick together.
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"Changing the building, it causes a different level of stress, and we want to recognize that," said Michael Harris, interim deputy superintendent of operations for the school district.
Aside from that, district leaders answered questions on how they are addressing potential concerns – including details on how they plan to separate Lincoln Avenue students from Pulaski High School students with different entrances, classrooms and facilities. Roughly 950 students already attend Pulaski.
Pulaski High School, Milwaukee
"They would be on one side and we will be on another side just because they're little. The little kids are small. And I could just see this is where my parents would want the conversations to be focused on," said Damaris Ayala, Lincoln Avenue School's principal.
There will also be separate drop-off and pick-up times for Lincoln Avenue students. That goes for after-school activities, too. The district said transportation will still be provided for all students.
"If you are provided transportation at the 18th (Street) location, you can expect to have transportation to Pulaski. We will make sure that you have what you need as a school community in a different location," Harris said.
Will Lincoln Avenue School be torn down?
What we don't know:
The only thing that remains uncertain now is the future of the actual Lincoln Avenue School building.
"Main concern right now is getting our students safely to the right location and getting them into Pulaski and making sure that facility has everything they need for continuity of learning and then we will start moving on. So I anticipate several months before we know exactly what the next steps are," said Brenda Casselius.
The superintendent said Milwaukee is getting ready to raze Lincoln Avenue School. A time frame has not yet been established. The district also has to work with the city before figuring out next steps.
SKYFOX: Fire destroys Milwaukee school
Fire destroyed Lincoln Avenue School on Milwaukee's south side on June 30. SKYFOX surveyed the damage from above.
"We don't have answers just yet about what's next. We'll be working with the community about what's next, and the city, as you know, the city owns our buildings. We lease them. And so we are working closely with the city on what's next, and we'll be working very closely with you," Cassellius said.
Despite Lincoln Avenue being temporarily relocated to Pulaski, the district said enrollments are still being accepted. They are also accepting donations through the MPS Foundation to help staff and students get back on their feet for this upcoming school year.
It's still not clear what caused the fire, Harris said.
Lincoln Avenue School bricks
What they're saying:
When it was time for questions Monday, the first query posed to the officials came from a person who asked if there was a way to sell bricks from the old building; for people to buy bricks, possibly to benefit the school or district. Casselius said if it is possible, they will try to make that happen, assuming there are not any toxic chemicals involved.
"The pain that your family is feeling about that. One thing I've noticed as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools is that there are so many people who are so connected to their school community. People actually introduced themselves by their elementary school," Cassellius said.
Will there be more community meetings?
What's next:
Another community meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. It will be held at the Boys & Girls Club at Rogers Street Academy. Head to MPS FAQ webpage to learn more.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include new information.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Stephanie Quirk and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: FOX6 News reviewed Monday's meeting, referenced information from MPS and included prior coverage in the story.