In the days following a fire that destroyed Lincoln Avenue School, bilingual teacher Angelie-Marie Soto began wondering how she might replace the years of books, supplies and decorations she had bought for her classroom.
But Soto said the hardest losses were the mementos that can never be replaced: pictures and drawings her students gave her over a decade of teaching, a Harry Potter Lego figure from a student who recognized her love of the series, a necklace that read “Mom” from a student who didn’t have a mother.
“Every day I would think of a new thing that’s gone,” Soto said. “I had material things that I have invested in, but for me, what hurts more is what the kids have given me throughout the years that I won’t be able to get back.”
With the building soon to be demolished, teachers at Lincoln Avenue are thinking about how to rebuild their classrooms after the June 30 fire destroyed materials that many had spent years acquiring, often using their own money.
A nationwide survey from AdoptAClassroom.org found the average teacher spent $895 out of pocket on school supplies during the 2024 school year, far exceeding the allowance teachers typically receive from their schools or districts for classroom expenses.
Soto said many Lincoln Avenue teachers have spent hundreds of dollars each year on supplies, from pencils and pens to decorations and furniture that help create welcoming and engaging environments for students. She estimated spending about $500 on her own classroom last year alone, including on games her students could play during indoor recess and small prizes to reward good behavior.
“It’s a lot of time and money invested that people don’t really think about. For us, it’s our second home and where we spend the majority of our time,” she said. “If you looked at the Lincoln teachers and what they did to decorate their rooms, it was always warm and inviting.”
Soto said she doesn’t expect Milwaukee Public Schools or insurance to reimburse teachers for the items they lost. But as the school community prepares to move into Pulaski High School this fall, the district is working to help replace classroom materials and supplies, with support from the nonprofit MPS Foundation, the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association and community members who have stepped in.
Soon after the fire, the district and the MPS Foundation began collecting items and monetary donations from the community, said Lincoln Avenue School Principal Damaris Ayala. The Milwaukee teachers union also helped staff create wish lists of specific items needed for their learning spaces; MPS Foundation Executive Director Myra Edwards said the organization expects to cover those lists entirely through its classroom support fund.
“People were very concerned right off the bat – not only for our material stuff but for our hearts,” Ayala said. “We need that to continue because this next step is equally important or more.”
Soto said students and school staff always need general school supplies, such as glue, scissors, staplers, rulers, pencils, protractors and whiteboards. But she and Ayala said the school also lost items meant to build a fun and inclusive community, including glitter, plastic tables for family events, a Bluetooth speaker and microphone for special occasions and recess, and toys used during after-school programs, such as scooters, balls, Hula-Hoops and video game consoles.
“I lost all of my things, so there’s nothing too little or too big that could be donated,” Soto said. “Really, whatever a classroom needs, that is what we need. Anything is welcome.”
Ayala said the school also lost supplies it had collected to support students’ families, a majority of whom are low income. Lincoln Avenue has routinely offered free backpacks filled with supplies as well as loaned caps and gowns to students, but Ayala said she’s unsure the school will be able to continue those traditions without community support.
The MPS Foundation has already received nearly $7,100 in donations designated for a separate Lincoln Avenue fund as of July 20, according to a district spokesperson. Edwards said Ayala and the school’s engagement council will determine how to use those funds to meet broader classroom and staff needs.
The MPS Foundation continues to accept donations, and the district is collecting supplies for Lincoln Avenue students and staff at its central office, 5225 W. Vliet St, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
“There’s so much that it’s just going to take time to gather again,” Ayala said. “But it is going to happen. I believe it.”
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh’s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: After fire, Lincoln Avenue teachers need help rebuilding classrooms
Reporting by Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
