Milwaukee Public Schools and city officials are still determining whether to rebuild Lincoln Avenue School after a massive fire destroyed large portions of the building last month, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said.
At a community meeting July 13, Casellius said the district is waiting to learn how much insurance will cover before making long-term decisions about the site. MPS Deputy Superintendent Michael Harris said the cause of the fire remains unknown, and the process of tearing down the building will begin soon.
MPS is working with officials from the City of Milwaukee, which owns the district’s buildings, to determine future steps. The city’s Historic Preservation Commission on July 6 approved the demolition of the school.
“We don’t have answers just yet about what’s next,” Cassellius said. “As soon as we know where that is, we’ll come back to the community with that information and then talk about what are the hopes for that site.”
MPS leaders also shared more details about Lincoln Avenue School’s relocation to Casimir Pulaski High School for the 2026-27 school year.
“Pulaski seemed to be the best choice,” Cassellius said. “Both principals are quite excited about working together.”
Lincoln Avenue School’s engagement council recommended the move to Pulaski. Lincoln Avenue School Principal Damaris Ayala said the council included five teachers, two paraprofessionals, two school administrators, a parent coordinator and leaders from three nonprofits.
The council considered four other schools: 65th Street School, Allen-Field Elementary School, Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes and Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning.
Ayala said three of the schools would be unable to fit the entire school community. One building, 65th Street School, is currently vacant, but the location is far away from the neighborhood, and many students walk to school.
Ayala said council members chose Pulaski because they wanted to stay near the original school and keep the students and staff together. Pulaski, 2500 W. Oklahoma Ave., is less than two miles from Lincoln Avenue School on Milwaukee’s south side.
The high school is already set up to operate two schools because it formerly housed the charter Carmen Southeast High School, which left the MPS umbrella at the end of the school year, Cassellius said.
The two schools will operate with separate entrances, exits, offices, green spaces and cafeteria. District leaders also expect Lincoln Avenue School’s bell schedule to remain the same.
Harris said the district is focused on ensuring students have a smooth transition to the new location for the upcoming school year. MPS is also accepting new enrollments at Lincoln Avenue School for the fall, Harris said.
“We have seats available,” he said. “We know that there’s been a little talk of our competitors in the neighborhood. Look, we want you at Lincoln Avenue for next year. Let’s have that conversation about your concerns.”
The district will answer questions related to the move at another community meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 14 at the Boys & Girls Club at Rogers Street Academy, 2404 W. Rogers St. The public can also livestream the meeting on the district’s YouTube.
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: MPS shares more details on Lincoln Avenue move, rebuild still unclear
Reporting by Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
