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District to Provide No-Cost Summer 2025 Meal Options

The Dubuque Community School District will participate in the USDA Summer Food Service Program to provide no-cost meals to students weekdays from July 7 through August 1, coinciding with the district’s Summer Academy Program.

The district will provide no-cost breakfast and lunch to any child 18 years old or under, with no enrollment necessary. No infant formula or infant food will be served. Meals will be served on site.

Meals will be offered at Prescott Elementary School and Table Mound Elementary School Monday through Friday between July 7 and August 1, with breakfast being served from 7:30-8 a.m. and lunch being served from 11-11:30 a.m.

Meals will also be offered throughout the summer by the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque at a variety of community locations.

VIEW THE FLYER OF ALL COMMUNITY MEAL SITES, TIMES AND LOCATIONS


USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-9410; or

2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement:
It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 6200 Park Ave, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321; phone number 515-281-4121 or 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.

District Receives State Communication Awards

The Dubuque Community School District was recently recognized for its communication efforts in the 2025 Iowa School Public Relations Association (ISPRA) Communication Contest, honoring outstanding school communication throughout the state.

Iowa School Public Relations Association LogoThe district received 10 awards in the contest, with each entry evaluated and scored independently by school communication professionals in other state chapters of the National School Public Relations Association.

Based on a scoring rubric, entries receiving a winning score are selected to receive either an Award of Excellence or a Blue and Gold Award, which is bestowed upon entries receiving a perfect score from judges in each criteria category. For 2025, the Dubuque Community School District received the most Blue and Gold Awards of any school district in the state.

The district was honored with the following:

BLUE AND GOLD AWARD

  • Category: Special Purpose, Entry: READY. FOR YOU. 2024-2029 Strategic Plan
  • Category: Public Engagement Campaign, Entry: Kindergarten Sneak Peek
  • Category: Marketing/Branding Campaign, Entry: Seedlings Preschool Center Identity
  • Category: Social Media, Entry: Dream Big: Kyle Konrardy
  • Category: Photography, Entry: Elementary Track Meeting: Marshall Strong

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

  • Category: Public Engagement Campaign, Entry: Multilingual Family Night
  • Category: Video – Singular, Entry: JJ and Logan
  • Category: Social Media, Entry: #ThankAnEducator
  • Category: Social Media, Entry: Audubon Attendance
  • Category: Excellence in Writing, Entry: School Performance Profiles Paint an Incomplete Picture

“As a district, we believe that having outstanding schools relies on having an engaged, informed community,” said Mike Cyze, chief communication officer. “Our amazing team is committed to proactively and transparently communicating with those we serve, and it is an honor to be recognized as among the best school communication work being done across the state.”

Lincoln Elementary School Teacher Named 2025 Dubuque Schools Teacher of the Year

The Dubuque Community School District Teacher of the Year was named at the annual Educators’ Recognition Reception on May 8, hosted by the Dubuque Education Association.

Kelly Eigenberger, a Title I reading teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, was selected for the honor.

The Dubuque Education Association: Congratulations Teacher of the Year Kelly Eigenberger, 2025Eigenberger has spent her entire career at Lincoln and is currently serving as a Title I reading teacher at the school. She joined the district in 2006, serving as a multicategorical special education teacher from 2006 to 2012. From 2012 to 2015, she served as a special education coach and from 2015 to 2024 was a special education teacher, both at Lincoln. Eigenberger holds a bachelor of arts in education degree and a master of arts in education degree, both from Clarke University in Dubuque.

“[Kelly] consistently goes above and beyond to create resources that accommodate our curriculum. Her efforts provide our students with the scaffolds they need to succeed and build their confidence,” said a colleague who nominated Eigenberger. “[She] truly cares about each and every child. She is always looking at the whole child. She builds relationships by allowing students to join her for lunch in her classroom. She is always a smiling face in the hallway each and every morning. The students truly look forward to her being in our classroom. Her positive attitude and outlook are contagious…”

Other finalists for the Teacher of the Year Award were:

  • Nancy Berendes, a kindergarten teacher at Kennedy Elementary School
  • Glenda Davis, a science teacher at Hempstead High School
  • Chad Hamilton, an instructional coach at Bryant Elementary School
  • Tammie Harbin, a health and wellness teacher at Sageville and Eisenhower Elementary Schools
  • Amy Palm, eighth-grade math teacher at Roosevelt Middle School
  • Jake Rheingans, a career technical education teacher at Hempstead High School
  • Karen Rothert, a sixth-grade math teacher at Washington Middle School
  • Emily Schrader, a second-grade teacher at Audubon Elementary School
  • Wendy Winger, a sixth-grade science teacher at Roosevelt Middle School

Also at the event:

The Dubuque Education Association: Congratulations TEAM Award Recipient Greg Lehman, 2025Jefferson Middle School Principal Greg Lehman received the TEAM (Together Educators and Administrators Make-it-happen) Award presented to an administrator for exemplary support of teacher success. Lehman’s nomination notes his exceptional leadership and advocacy for staff, students and families. The nomination points to Lehman establishing a culture of safety and camaraderie at Jefferson; promoting staff collaboration and valuing their input; and creating systems that allow staff to grow and contribute meaningfully.

Dubuque Senior High School Speech Team Earns Individual Events Sweepstakes Trophy

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

Dubuque Senior and Hempstead Compete at State Bowling Championship

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior represented the district well at the 2025 Bowling 3A State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

PLACE WINNERS

Dubuque Senior High School

TEAM – 5TH PLACE

  • Madyson Arrington
  • Zoie Bettcher
  • Alison Hedrick
  • Alexys Hirsch
  • Sophie Jasper
  • Ava Pregler

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 

  • Sophie Jasper – 4th Place

Hempstead High School

BOYS INDIVIDUAL 

  • Gavin Wardle – 8th

STATE QUALIFIERS

Dubuque Senior High School

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 

  • Madyson Arrington
  • Zoie Bettcher
  • Alison Hedrick

BOYS INDIVIDUAL 

  • Joey Simpson
  • Zach Wlochal

Hempstead High School

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 

  • Chloe Hansen
  • Ava Kennedy

Hempstead High School at Boys State Wrestling

High school students from Hempstead High School recently returned from a strong showing at the 2025 IHSAA Boys Wrestling 3A State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

PLACE FINISHERS

  • Abe Heysinger (wt. 106) | 3rd Place
  • Mitchell Pins (wt. 120) | 5th Place
  • Cam Smith (wt. 215) | 7th Place
  • Mitchell Murphy (wt. 132) | 8th Place

STATE QUALIFIERS

  • Garren Christiansen (wt. 144)
  • Ike Heysinger (wt. 113)
  • Elijah Hyet (wt. 126)
  • Peyce McCoy (wt. 175)

Hempstead and Dubuque Senior at Boys State Swimming

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior recently returned from an impressive showing at the 2025 IHSAA Boys State Swimming Championship.

Congratulations to the following students on these honors:

State Finishers

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL – 2025 SWIMMING STATE CHAMPION

50-Yard Freestyle

  • Owen Leitzen | 3rd Place
  • Kyle Powers | 4th Place

100-Yard Breaststroke

  • Abd Ul-Haq | 6th Place

100-Yard Butterfly

  • Logan Westhoff | 8th Place

100-Yard Freestyle

  • Owen Leitzen | 4th Place
  • Kyle Powers | 3rd Place

200-Yard Freestyle

  • Logan Westhoff | 4th Place

200-Yard Freestyle Relay – STATE CHAMPIONS

  • Owen Leitzen
  • Mason Lemm
  • Kyle Powers
  • Logan Westhoff

200-Yard Individual Medley 

  • Abd Ul-Haq | 7th Place

400-Yard Freestyle Relay – STATE CHAMPIONS

  • Jake Dolphin
  • Owen Leitzen
  • Kyle Powers
  • Logan Westhoff

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

100-Yard Backstroke 

  • Zachary Heiar | 4th Place

100-Yard Butterfly

  • Zachary Heiar | 4th Place

200-Yard Medley Relay – 4th Place

  • Duncan Freund
  • Jonah Fry
  • William Fry
  • Zachary Heiar

State Qualifiers

HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL

50-Yard Freestyle

  • Mason Lemm

100-Yard Breaststroke

  • Caden Stickney
  • Braden Wenger

100-Yard Butterfly

  • Mason Lemm
  • Caden Stickney

100-Yard Freestyle

  • Henry Gilbertson

200-Yard Individual Medley

  • Jake Dolphin
  • Braden Wenger

200-Yard Medley Relay – TEAM

  • Jake Dolphin
  • Mason Lemmm
  • Caden Stickney
  • Abd Ul-Haq

500-Yard Freestyle

  • Jake Dolphin
  • Nolan Page

DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

50-Yard Freestyle

  • Walter Freund

100-Yard Backstroke

  • Jonah Fry
  • William Fry

100-Yard Breaststroke

  • Duncan Freund

100-Yard Butterfly

  • Jonah Fry
  • William Fry

100-Yard Freestyle

  • Duncan Freund

200-Yard Freestyle Relay – TEAM

  • Duncan Freund
  • Walter Freund
  • Zachary Heiar
  • Cole Marshall

400-Yard Freestyle Relay – TEAM

  • Walter Freund
  • Jonah Fry
  • Rowan Fry
  • William Fry
Header art gallery 2025 02

Fall/Winter 2024 Student Art Gallery Now Live!

We are pleased to present the Fall/Winter 2024 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

Hempstead and Dubuque Senior Qualify for Girls State Wrestling

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

Congratulations to the following students:

Girls State Qualifiers

Hempstead High School

125 Weight Class

  • Hailey Wiskus

135 Weight Class

  • Bella Miller

145 Weight Class

  • Ayla Osterkamp

155 Weight Class

  • Morgan Bills

Dubuque Senior High School

120 Weight Class

  • Zyla Wright

155 Weight Class

  • Hayleigh Forster

Dubuque Senior Students Have Successful Showing at Iowa Thespian Excellence Awards

The Dubuque Senior Theatre Department had a successful showing at the 2024/2025 International Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys® for short).

The national qualifier event was held at the Iowa Thespian Festival on Friday, November 14 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. The International Thespian Excellence Awards program is designed to provide feedback for Thespians on theatrical performances and technical presentations. Students are adjudicated by theatre educators and professionals on rubrics that reflect national standards in theatre education.

Dubuque Senior brought home nine Superior ratings in the competition in a variety of performance events. In addition, students earned eight overall Excellent and one overall Good rating for their performances.

Students that earned overall Superior ratings qualified for the national event held at the University of Indiana in June, 2025, as part of the International Thespian Festival. The following students earned Superior ratings and have qualified:

SUPERIOR RATINGS – QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Kelsey Ahlers | “Losing My Mind”
  • Riley Beck | “Out There”
  • Ami Bellings | “With You”
  • Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”
  • Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”
  • Bella VandenBerge | “I Can’t Say No”

Duet Musical Theatre

  • Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”

Group Acting

  • Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”

Group Musical Theatre

  • Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”

The following performances were also selected by adjudicators as the best in their performance centers for the competition:

FIRST PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Ami Bellings | “With You”

Group Acting

  • Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”

Group Musical Theatre

  • Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”

SECOND PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Riley Beck | “Out There”
  • Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”

Lighting Design

  • Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”

Duet Musical Theatre

  • Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”

THIRD PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”

The following students earned an overall Excellent or Good Rating for their performance:

EXCELLENT RATING

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Cheyenne Brown | “Don’t Rain On My Parade”
  • Olivia Gennings | “She Used To Be Mine”
  • Reid Postma | “Where is the Life”

Solo Musical Dance

  • Ella Meyer | “I Want to Be a Rockette”

Lighting Design

  • Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”

Duet Musical Theatre

  • Seattle Bontemps + Morgan Weiland | “The End of the Line”
  • Olivia Gennings + Blair Kapp | “Suddenly Seymour”

Group Musical Theatre

  • Seattle Bontemps + Kate Putnam + Morgan Weiland | “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now”

GOOD RATING

Solo Musical Theatre

  • Ella Meyer | “She Used to Be Mine”

Furthermore, Dubuque Senior High School’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists has been selected to perform at the 2025 International Thespian Festival. The selection is based on adjudication from theatre professionals from across the country. The performance of The Revolutionists at the 2024 Iowa Thespian Festival in November was reviewed by the national adjudicators and was selected to be one of just eight main stage performances at the International Thespian Festival.

CRITIC’S CHOICE AWARD (IHSSA All-State Festival) & SUPERIOR RATING (Iowa Thespian Festival)

One Act Play

  • Ami Bellings + Peyton Dixon + Avery Kane + Bella VandenBerge | “The Revolutionists”

Dubuque Senior’s production of The Revolutionists featured four remarkable actresses as historical characters at the height of the Reign of Terror in France. The cast includes seniors Ami Bellings (Charlotte Corday) and Bella VandenBerge (Olympe du Gouges), and juniors Peyton Dixon (Marianne Angelles) and Avery Kane (Marie Antoinette). Adjudicators noted the Dubuque Senior actresses for their performances which were “captivating to watch” and for their “emotional depth.”

The production also featured music performed by Anna Garrett-Douillet on the harp. Adjudicators commented on Anna’s powerful performance and musical talent.

The ensemble of The Revolutionists included Kelsey Ahlers, Seattle Bontemps, Joslyn Brown, Olivia Gennings, Norah Homb, Iris Lammer-Heindel, Camilla Moeller, Jameson Norton, Josie Norton, Madeline Oney, and Izzibelle Pregler, as well as a special appearance by Grace Weber. The creative team included Aaron Dean (Director), Katie Galliart (Music Director), and Megan Schumacher (Scenic Art). The design team included more than twenty Dubuque Senior students working on costumes, lights, sound, props, and more. Adjudicators commended the student designers for the strong supporting role the technical elements played in the production.

Dubuque Senior’s performance at the International Thespian Festival will be June 25, 2025 at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. More than 3,000 students from across the country and abroad will gather for a week of main stage and studio performances, workshops with theatre professionals, and national competitions.

Congratulations to all our students on their achievements!