Sarah Parchem gasped when she came across a Facebook post on Sunday showing a dumpster full of books and school supplies outside of Fuentes Elementary School in Avondale.As the mother of a rising kindergartner who values reading, Parchem said the photo almost made her cry. But she also saw an opport unity. Parchem hopped in her car and spent two hours dumpster diving that morning looking for anything she could salvage.She wasn't alone. For days, parents, teachers and community members searched through the dumpster outside of Fuentes for anything of use. A similarly stocked dumpster was seen outside of Santiago Elementary School in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Fuentes Elementary School is one of five former Acero charter schools that, as of July, are managed by Chicago Public Schools. CPS officials say they disposed of Acero materials that didn’t meet the district’s learning standards, but they were supposed to be donated or recycled.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Parchem doesn't know why the books ended up in those bins but she didn’t want them to go to waste.“If I can find something to donate to my kid's school that would be great, or donate to any of the teacher giveaways that are happening in preparation for the new school year,” Parchem said.The online posts about the dumpsters drew the ire of parents who accused Chicago Public Schools of wasting school supplies at a time when inflation has pushed up costs for families and the district is asking the state for more money to stave off classroom cuts.CPS officials say the materials were supposed to be recycled or donated and were not meant for the trash. After a photo of the dumpster outside Fuentes Elementary was posted to social media, some parents and teachers came to see what books or other supplies could be salvaged.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times CPS took over management of Fuentes, Santiago and three other former Acero charter schools in July. Acero announced it would close seven of its campuses in 2024 due to declining enrollment and financial troubles. It's unclear if all the former Acero schools discarded materials in the same way.In a statement, a CPS spokesperson said staff “have had to quickly remove materials left behind” by Acero “to ensure a smooth transition,” adding that “textbooks that do not meet approved learning standards for CPS classrooms were placed in disposal bins meant for recycling or donations.”The dumpsters did contain some math and science and technology textbooks. But there were also many Spanish and English children's storybooks, along with watercolors, science beakers and toys. Some of the titles visible in the dumpsters viewed by the Sun-Times include “A Movie in My Pillow,” "Salta, Ranita, Salta,” “Under the Mambo Moon,” and “Dan Gets a Cat.”In a statement, a spokesperson for Acero said the operator is “unable to speak to activities” since the transition. On Monday, an LRS Waste and Disposal truck hauled away a dumpster left outside Fuentes Elementary that was filled with children’s storybooks and other texts. CPS said the supplies were supposed to be recycled or donated.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times It's unclear when the dumpsters first appeared, but neighbors noticed visitors searching through them over the weekend. On Monday, a LRS Waste and Disposal truck was seen hauling the bin with supplies away from Fuentes. The district said it will be transferred to a recycling center.By Tuesday morning, just one dumpster that appeared to be full of cardboard boxes was in the school's parking lot.At Santiago, the dumpster with the discarded school materials had been covered with a blue tarp. CPS said the bins are covered to protect items from the weather.“The District is reviewing a number of community partners, families, or local organizations that might be able to accept any usable materials,” the CPS spokesperson added. Another dumpster filled with school books sat outside Santiago Elementary in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood on Monday. Like Fuentes, Santiago is one of five former Acero charter schools now managed by CPS.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Schools in transition, whether due to closures or new management, have long had to deal with leftover supplies. After mass school closings in 2013, CPS spent millions packing, moving, sorting and cataloging items from dozens of buildings, some of which ended in the dump.Parchem said she salvaged more than 200 Spanish-language and bilingual books from the bin outside of Fuentes. Many more were damaged by weekend rains, she said. She and about nine others who were at the dumpster with her set aside other supplies that were in good condition for people to take.“This could have been done in a much more collaborative and sustainable way,” Parchem said. Sarah Parchem salvaged 200 Spanish-language and bilingual books from the dumpster outside Fuentes Elementary. She plans to donate them.Provided by Sarah Parchem Still, she said the incident showcased how community members and mutual aid groups can fill needs on a hyper-local level, noting that many teachers showed up and left with supplies thanks to social media posts.She hopes to donate the books she saved to local schools, libraries or to a teacher resource fair by The Parlor, a group that distributes items for reuse.“The sharing economy is really strong in Chicago and with social media, we have the technology to make the best of a situation like this,” Parchem said.Contributing: Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere ...read more read less