General

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.

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

The Dubuque Community School District hosted “Safeguarding Students: AI, Technology, and the Fight Against Exploitation” on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. in Lass Auditorium at Roosevelt Middle School as part of the district’s Community Education Series dealing with pressing topics affecting youth.

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Couldn’t attend? Listen to the session and view the slide deck from the event below:

View the Slide Deck from the Presentation

 

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This community session was parent/guardian focused as all Dubuque Community School District middle and high school students will participate in a student-focused session on the same topic in November.

Co-presented by the Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department, and Dubuque County Attorney’s Office, the presentation will focus on the issues of child exploitation, inappropriate image sharing, and sextortion.

The session will discuss the impact of these issues, including the sending and receiving of nude or partially nude photos and the use of A.I. to create altered or fake images. Officials will explain and describe the consequences of involvement in these activities for both younger students and for those close to adulthood. The information shared will be relevant to students and based on trends that officials are seeing in Dubuque County.

The Dubuque League of Women Voters held the 2025 School Board Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

Members of the public were invited to attend the forum in person, which was held at the Dubuque Community School District Office at 2300 Chaney Road.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

The forum can also be viewed live on Mediacom Channel 16 or 117-6.

The Dubuque Community School District will host a Multilingual Family Night as part of the district’s family and community engagement series on Wednesday, September 24, from 4:30-7 p.m. at Dubuque Senior High School. Admission to the event is free and open to all families with students in grades 8-12.

We are READY. TO SUPPORT YOU.

Multilingual families with students in grades 8-12 are invited to join other multilingual families for a night connecting with the Dubuque Community School District and the many resources available to support you and your student. Interpreters and childcare will be provided.

Event highlights include:

• Enjoy a free meal with other families
• Meet our caring and supportive staff
• Participate in interactive breakout sessions including:
  • Parent/Guardian Sessions:
    • Graduation requirements and Senior Year Plus opportunities
    • Attendance, school success, and navigating parent-teacher conferences
    • Career pathways through the VERTEX Initiative
  • Student Sessions:
    • Career exploration and planning in education, skilled trades, healthcare, and business/IT
• Receive hands-on technology support for tools like Infinite Campus and ParentSquare
• Access a wide range of community resources offering support in areas such as healthcare, college access, employment, and more

This event is a VERTEX Initiative career and college readiness opportunity made possible in partnership with support from local organizations and employers across Dubuque.

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¡Acceda a esta información en español!

اردو میں اس معلومات تک رسائی حاصل کریں!

Truy cập thông tin này bằng tiếng Việt!

Students from both Dubuque Senior and Hempstead High Schools competed in the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championship at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA from May 22 – May 24th.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

4A State Medalists

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

High Jump – 3rd Place

• Cambel Drapeau

3000M Run – 8th Place

• Emily Gorton

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

4x400M Relay – 8th Place

• Ayla Osterkamp, Piper Birkenholz, Evie Henneberry, Mallory Tomkins

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

400M Hurdles – 5th Place

• Garrett Schumacher

4x400M Relay – 7th Place

•  Zachary Heiar, Garrett Schumacher, Kael Stickley, Charles Crow

Girls Para Medalists

200M Wheelchair – 1st Place

• Ally Darter

400M Wheelchair – 1st Place

• Ally Darter

800M Wheelchair – 1st Place

• Ally Darter

Shot Put Wheelchair – 1st Place

• Ally Darter

4A State Qualifiers

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

3000M Run

• Evie Henneberry

4x100M Relay

• Kassidy Buhenau, Autumn Sanchez, Kaylee Carley, Mallory Tomkins

4x200M Relay

• Ayla Osterkamp, Kassidy Buhenau, Kaylee Carley, Mallory Tomkins

4x800M Relay

• Mylee Lange, Natalie Leitzen, Paige Pitz, Evie Henneberry

Sprint Medley

• Kassidy Buchenau, Kaylee Carley, Ayla Osterkamp, Mallory Tomkins

Distance Medley Relay

• Autumn Sanchez, Addi Wright, Piper Birkenholz, Paige Pitz

Shuttle Hurdle Relay

• Sydney Feldhacker, Rebecca Roling, Savannah Bailey, Mady Morrison

Alternates

• Eva Stevenson
• Paris Mickelson
• Akeelah Anderson
• Josie Kallback
• Jullian Renne
• Ella Brosius

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

800M Run

• Emma Chesterman
• Neveah Kessler

1500M Run

• Emma Chesterman
• Emily Gorton

3000M Run

• Claire Hoyer

4x800M Relay

• Emma Chesterman, Emily Gorton, Claire Hoyer, Lise Hoyer

Shot Put

• Eden Lee

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

Discus

• Chase McElmeel

Long Jump

• Jordan Plummer

400M Low Hurdles

• Owen Leitzen

4x400M Relay

• Avery Keehner, Jordan Plummer, Owen Leitzen, Thomas Brashaw

4x800M Relay

• Owen Leitzen, Brandon Kass, Colin Henn, Vinny Scherr

Distance Medley Relay

• Robert Ivy, Jan Roller, Hayden Harper, Vinny Scherr

Sprint Medley Relay

• Brendon Zheng, Jaden Montogmery, Avery Keehner, Thomas Brashaw

Shuttle Hurdle Relay

• McCoi Knox, Christian Adolf, Jaylen Hodgson, Gavan Brotzman

Alternates

• Henry Maloney
• Ben Ellerbach
• Eli Curry

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

400M Sprint

• Charles Crow

Shot Put

• Timothy Parker

Sprint Medley Relay

• Joshua Schwab, Kael Stickley, Garrett Schumacher, Charles Crow

4x100M Relay

• Joshua Schwab, Marshawn Dukes, Kael Stickley, Mekyael Hall

4x200M Relay

• Joshua Schwab, Zachary Heiar, Kael Stickley, Garrett Schumacher

4x800M Relay

•  Zachary Heiar, Garrett Schumacher, Kael Stickley, Charles Crow

4x110M Shuttle Hurdle

• Owen Anderson, Jacob Haug, Matthew Haug, Calvin Lueken

Alternates

• Mason Birch
• Daylin Moore
• Sam Kook
• Jack Kirman
• Ben Hohmann
• Jonah Fry
• Elijah Roach
• Cooper Shannon
• Carver Cornell
• Anderson Lambert

Every five years, the Dubuque Community School District updates its Special Education Service Delivery Plan, which outlines how the district implements services for students eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

As part of this process, public comment is sought on the draft version of the plan.

View the Draft Special Education Service Delivery Plan (PDF)

The comment period for feedback is now closed.

 

On Saturday, March 15, the Dubuque Senior Speech Team competed in the 2025 State Individual Event Speech Contest at Starmont High School in Arlington, Iowa. The team received overall Division I (Excellent) ratings in 47 performances.

The Hempstead High School Speech Team had a two students receive Division I ratings in four performances. The students were coached by Harmony Roe and Don Stanner. The contest is sponsored by the Iowa High School Speech Association.

The Dubuque Senior Speech Team also received 21 total Outstanding Performance nominations to the 2025 Individual Event All-State Festival which will be held Monday, March 31st at the University of Northern Iowa. The Dubuque Senior Varsity team also earned the I.H.S.S.A. Individual Event
Sweepstakes Trophy, given to the school with the most nominations to the Festival. This marks the thirteenth consecutive year the Dubuque Senior Speech Team has won the Individual Events Sweepstakes Trophy making them 2025 Individual Events State Champion.

Dubuque Senior’s varsity honors include four double All-State nominees – Peyton Dixon, Avery Kane, Chase Kreimeyer, and Ella Meyer. The group is coached by Hannah Burke, Aaron Dean, Greg Ernzen, Natalie Ervolino, Mike Grant, Maria LoBianco, Megan Schumacher, Chad Thomas and Matt Tompkins. The Festival is sponsored by the Iowa High School Speech Association, which is an affiliate of the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union.

Dubuque Senior High School

• Riley Beck – Solo Musical Theatre
• Ami Bellings – Solo Musical Theatre
• Julien Derks – Literary Program
• Peyton Dixon – Original Oratory & Storytelling
• Millie Eikamp – Expository Address
• Norah Homb – Storytelling
• Avery Kane – Acting & Literary Program
• Blair Kapp – After Dinner Speaking
• Chase Kreimeyer – After Dinner Speaking & Improvisational Acting
• Iris Lammer-Heindel – Public Address
• Liam Kroger – Radio News Announcing
• Ella Meyer – Prose & Spontaneous Speaking
• Jameson Norton – Acting
• Izzy Pregler – Prose
• Kate Putnam – Poetry
• Jack Rothert – After Dinner Speaking
• Adrianna Smith – Poetry

State Division I (Excellent) Rated Recognition:

Dubuque Senior High School

• Kelsey Ahlers – Storytelling
• Cassidy Bandy – Expository Address
• Evangeline Blaine – Poetry
• Seattle Bontemps – Original Oratory
• Wyatt Branscomb – Spontaneous Speaking
• Lela Bryant-Henry – Prose
• Sam Cavanagh – Radio News Announcing
• Matthew Denham – Original Oratory
• Liam Dostal – Solo Musical Theatre
• Anna Garrett-Douillet – Public Address
• Olivia Gennings – Prose
• Sam Haug – Review
• Amelia Hoffman – Literary Program
• Finn Kinkaid – Review
• Maura Lawler – Review
• Camilla Moeller – Radio News Announcing
• Josie Norton – Poetry
• Madeline Oney – Poetry
• Reid Postma – Improvisational Acting
• Ellieah Routley – Expository Address
• Benjamin Schaefer – Spontaneous Speaking
• Audrey Schuster – Expository Address
• Alaina Smith – Storytelling
• Bella VandenBerge – Acting & Public Address
• Morgan Weiland – Improvisational Acting

Hempstead High School

• Keegan Quam – Storytelling
• Maggie Morrow – Storytelling