Parish Banks, setting up her home daycare, sought affordable supplies to support her new educational venture. A Facebook notification on Sunday night presented an unexpected opportunity. It mentioned a dumpster filled with educational materials outside Carlos Fuentes Elementary School in Avondale.
The school supplies were discarded as Fuentes Elementary, previously part of the Acero Network, transitioned to the Chicago Public Schools district. Items like classroom decor, textbooks, and art supplies filled the dumpster, offering just what Banks needed for the Pristine Leadership Academy in Grand Crossing, opening on Tuesday.
Banks drove 30 minutes to the location, where she collected books, arts and craft supplies, and organizers from the dumpster. She described the find as a “blessing.” Banks mentioned, “This was needed. I’ve had to buy and get many items from Facebook Marketplace. I saw the post at 6 a.m. and immediately came over because these materials were perfect.”
The discovery prompted a broader conversation online about the unnecessary waste of useful supplies and the financial pressure on families and educators. The materials’ disposal reasons remain unknown, and CPS did not comment on the matter. Many expressed dismay at the waste, suggesting suitable alternatives, such as donations, especially as school supply costs increased over 10% since July 2023.
In response to rising costs, the state plans a 5% sales tax reduction on school supplies from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16. The National Retail Federation projects that families will spend about $863.86 on these items this year, a slight rise from 2025. These expenses impact educators seriously, including Banks, who mentioned the high cost of providing educational resources, “Organizational bins and table organizers cost $10 to $15 each.”
I’m over here dumpster diving to support my community’s young people in Chicago.
Banks actively collected materials from Fuentes Elementary to benefit her community. She expressed gratitude and wished for prior notification to prevent the waste.
Ashley Di Bella shared the dumpster’s contents in a Facebook buy-nothing group, stressing that these were usable materials destined for landfills. “These aren’t just trash; they are resources people can use”, Di Bella explained, encouraging people to take advantage of the opportunity. She added, “I’d rather inform others than see them disposed of.”
Banks continued to alert friends about the available materials as she gathered them. On a video call with a friend, she emphasized, “Girl, you need to get down here. Look, there’s curriculum, paint, Play-Doh. Everything you need.”