What's New at Dubuque Community Schools

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior recently returned from an impressive showing at the 2026 IHSAA Boys State Swimming Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

State Finishers

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL – 7^th Place

200-Yard Freestyle Relay – 2^nd Place

• Caden Stickney
• Logan Westhoff
• Henry Gilbertson
• Jake Dolphin

200-Yard Individual Medley

• Abd Ul-Haq | 3^rd Place
• Jake Dolphin | 6^th Place

50-Yard Freestyle

• Caden Stickney | 7^th Place

400-Yard Freestyle Relay – 7^th Place

• Logan Westoff
• Henry Gilbertson
• Abd Ul-Haq
• Jake Dolphin

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Para 50-Yard Freestyle

• Max Heiar | STATE CHAMPION

Para 100-Yard Backstroke

• Max Heiar | STATE CHAMPION

100-Yard Butterfly

• Jonah Fry | 4^th Place
• William Fry | 7^th Place

200-Yard Medley Relay – 7th Place

• Duncan Freund
• Jonah Fry
• William Fry
• Rowan Fry

100-Yard Backstroke

• William Fry | 8^th Place

State Qualifiers

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL

50-Yard Freestyle

• Henry Gilbertson
• Jacob Godel

100-Yard Backstroke

• Jake Dolphin
• Nolan Page

100-Yard Breaststroke

• Caden Stickney

100-Yard Butterfly

• Calvin Stickney
• Gavin Wolbers

100-Yard Freestyle

• Logan Westoff
• Jacob Godel
• Henry Gilbertson

200-Yard Freestyle

• Logan Westhoff
• Nile Connely

200-Yard Medley Relay

• Calvin Stickney
• Adb Ul-Haq
• Caden Stickney
• Jacob Godel

500-Yard Freestyle

• Nolan Page
• Owen Mason
• Calvin Stickney

Alternates

• JP Auer
• Jackson Lampe
• Lucas Westhoff

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

50-Yard Freestyle

• Duncan Freund

100-Yard Backstroke

• Jonah Fry

100-Yard Breaststroke

• Duncan Freund

100-Yard Butterfly

• Caleb Shol

100-Yard Freestyle

• Rowan Fry

200-Yard Individual Relay

• Rowan Fry

200-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Duncan Freund
• Rowan Fry
• Caleb Shol
• Cole Marshall

400-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Jonah Fry
• William Fry
• Caleb Shol
• Cole Marshall

Alternates

• Joey Hoffman
• Ben Hohmann
• Grady Kroger
• Will McNamara
• Traenor Noel

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior represented the district well at the 2026 Girls 3A Bowling State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

PLACE WINNERS

Dubuque Senior High School

TEAM – 3RD PLACE

• Zoie Bettcher
• Kyra Goedken
• Haley Hendricks
• Alexys Hirsch
• Sophie Jasper
• Samantha Wlochal

INDIVIDUAL 

• Zoie Bettcher- 5th Place

Hempstead High School

TEAM – 7TH PLACE

• Gracie Federonich
• Ava Kennedy
• Ella Kennedy
• Sierrah Orr
• Addisyn Rainery
• Grace Watters

STATE QUALIFIERS

Dubuque Senior High School

INDIVIDUAL 

• Alexys Hirsch
• Kyra Goedken
• Samantha Wlochal

Hempstead High School

INDIVIDUAL 

• Ella Kennedy

High school students from Hempstead High School recently qualified to compete at the 2026 IGHSAU Girls Wrestling 2A State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students:

PLACE FINISHERS

• Bella Miller (wt. 135) | State Champion

STATE QUALIFIERS

• McKenzie Ostola (wt. 120)
• Hailey Wiskus (wt. 125)
• Morgan Bills (wt. 155)
• Karise Benson (wt. 190)

We are pleased to present the Winter 2025 K-12 Virtual Student Art Gallery, highlighting the amazing artwork of our students.

The exhibit features the ability to virtually walk through a curated gallery of work — and we hope you’ll enjoy immersing yourself in the exhibit as the vision of these talented student artists comes to life.

VIEW THE VIRTUAL STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

Ready to join our A+ Team?

Learn about all the amazing career opportunities available in the district at our Dubuque Community School District JOB FAIR on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 2-4 p.m. at the district’s main offices at 2300 Chaney Road!

We are HIRING NOW – and the fair will have representatives on hand from departments across the district, including:

• Transportation
• Food and Nutrition
• Buildings and Grounds
• and Schools with Paraprofessional Openings

Interviews will be conducted ON SITE during the fair!

PLUS, many positions coordinate with the school calendar so you can be aligned with your child’s schedule!

Looking for a more flexible as-needed role? Learn about becoming a substitute teacher, substitute paraprofessional, or substitute food service worker at the fair! It’s a great way to get familiar with the district and all we have to offer on our A+ team!

CAN’T WAIT AND READY TO APPLY? Start your application today!

UPDATE: This event, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 15, has been CANCELLED due to a death in the speaker’s family. The district is working to reschedule this event for later in the school year and will share details about a new date when it is confirmed.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Washington Middle School will host a community education presentation featuring a speaker addressing mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in Washington Middle School’s Roling Auditorium. Admission is free.

The event is sponsored by Duck Cup Memorial, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The evening will feature Colin, who will share his own powerful story of his struggles with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Through honesty and support, Colin found healing, is in college and is loving life. His story shares that it’s okay to not be okay and that there is always hope.

This Duck Cup Memorial event comes in conjunction with Colin visiting Washington Middle School students on January 16 to share a student-focused message on the topic.

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior recently qualified to compete at the 2025 IGHSAU Girls Swimming and Diving State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

State Finishers

Dubuque Senior High School

200-Yard Freestyle – 2nd Place

• Annie Gilligan

100-Yard Backstroke – 8th Place

• Annie Gilligan

State Qualifiers

Hempstead High School

1-Meter Diving 

• Darey Gassman

50-Yard Freestyle

• Rebecca Roling

100-Yard Backstroke

• Taylor Tigges

100-Yard Breaststroke

• Maisey Duehr

100-Yard Butterfly

• Lily McFadden

200-Yard Freestyle

• Lily McFadden

200-Yard Individual Medley

• Maisey Duehr

200-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Rebecca Roling | Mallory Blum | Maisey Duehr | Lily McFadden

200-Yard Medley Relay

• Adalyn Mairet | Maisey Duehr | Rebecca Roling | Taylor Tigges

400-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Rebecca Roling | Maggie Kelzer | Taylor Tigges | Lily McFadden

500-Yard Freestyle

• Taylor Tigges

Dubuque Senior High School

1-Meter Diving 

• Payton Ryan

200-Yard Freestyle

• Lily Steines

200-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Annie Gilligan | Evelyn Coyle | Althea Wilson | Livia Radloff

200-Yard Medley Relay

• Kaley Beimborn | Althea Wilson | Evelyn Coyle | Ellie Hoffman

400-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Annie Gilligan | Kaley Beimborn | Ellie Hoffman | Lily Steines

500-Yard Freestyle

• Ellie Hoffman

Enrollment for FREE four-year-old preschool in the Dubuque Community School District for the 2026-2027 school year will begin on Monday, Dec. 1.

This includes all 11 Dubuque public elementary schools as well as the district’s Seedlings Preschool Center on Chavenelle Road offering preschool through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. (Note: Seedlings Preschool Center has optional, fee-based wraparound care available at the adjacent Dubuque Community Y Childcare.)

Parents and guardians may enroll students ONLINE beginning at NOON on Monday, December 1 at www.dbqschools.org/preschool.

All district elementary schools and the district’s main office will have computers and staff assistance available beginning December 1 for families needing internet access to complete preschool enrollment.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Free four-year-old preschool is open to students residing in Iowa who are four by September 15. Proof of age (preferably a birth certificate) and proof of residency are required to enroll a student and may be uploaded during the enrollment application process or provided in hard copy to the district enrollment office at 2300 Chaney Road.

Your student’s enrollment application will not be considered complete until these documents have been received.

For the enrollment process, families should have the student’s main household and health information readily available.

PRESCHOOL SITE OPTIONS

Space may be limited in some facilities and enrollment applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment for preschool is not based on geography and all sites are open to Iowa residents. Applications will be time-stamped and families will be able to select up to three locations and time slots in order of preference.

Applications completed by January 9 (including submission of proof of age and proof of residency) will be considered in the first round of placement notifications beginning on January 15.

In addition to spots in Dubuque’s public schools, a variety of community preschool partners also offer free four-year-old preschool.

QUESTIONS?

For additional enrollment questions, individuals should contact the district enrollment office at enrollment@dbqschools.org.

For questions about preschool programming, contact the district early childhood office at earlychildhood@dbqschools.org.

The Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children is funded by the State of Iowa and facilitated locally by the Dubuque Community School District.

On October 29, 2025, Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced that Bryant Elementary School was among four Iowa schools selected as the state’s inaugural Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools for 2025 during a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol. Formerly the National Blue Ribbon Schools, the prestigious program is now a state-led recognition initiative, honoring some of the state’s top-performing schools.

“I am thrilled to recognize each of Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their hard work to earn this well-deserved honor and their dedication to helping every student succeed,” Gov. Reynolds said. “This year Iowa was excited to help lead the way in launching this prestigious program as a statewide initiative to continue to honor high-performing schools, highlighting the transformational work that takes place every day in their classrooms.”

Joining Bryant on the list of 2025 Blue Ribbons Schools are Albia Middle School, George-Little Rock Elementary, and Prairie Hill Elementary School.

“Iowa’s inaugural Blue Ribbon School designation recognizes these school communities as models of excellence in Iowa and across the nation, celebrating the accomplishments of students, educators, and families across all corners of the state,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We applaud Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their leadership to advance evidence-based reading and math instruction, support teachers in doing their best work, and empower students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success. The Department is proud to join Iowans in continuing to honor our exceptional schools that provide all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential.”

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced in August that it was transitioning the Blue Ribbon Schools recognition program to states, providing the opportunity to celebrate exemplary schools that are achieving their unique educational goals. Previously, the Blue Ribbon Schools program was jointly administered by USED and state departments of education, and the important work of identifying schools for recognition was always done at the state level

In its inaugural year, schools recognized through the Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools program were identified based on the prior National Blue Ribbon Schools requirements. Iowa’s four designees were honored as Exemplary High-Performing Schools, which are measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Each of these schools performed in the top 15 percent of all Iowa public schools based on overall performance on school accountability indicators, including student proficiency and growth.

The Dubuque Community School District has released draft calendars for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years.

View the DRAFT 2026-2027 School Calendar

View the DRAFT 2027-2028 School Calendar

Feedback on the draft calendars is being accepted through Wednesday, Nov. 25.

COMPLETE THE DRAFT CALENDAR FEEDBACK FORM