Middle School Bond Referendum | November 4, 2025
As a district, it is our goal to ensure that every student in the district has an outstanding learning experience supported by facilities that meet the needs of today’s learners.
|
|
THE NEED.
While well maintained through generations of students served, Washington Middle School and Jefferson Middle school are over 100 years old and have outlived their useful life. At the same time, the district must reduce operational costs to alleviate budget pressures, which can be achieved by consolidating from three to two middle schools.
THE PROJECT.
Build a new, modern 1,000+ student middle school on the current Washington Middle School site.
This project would:
- ensure all Dubuque middle school students learn in a setting made for today’s learners.
- create a feeder system so students move seamlessly as a cohort from middle school to high school.
- save an estimated $1.9 to $2.5 million in annual operating expenses by moving from three to two district middle schools.
THE FUNDING.
The overall cost to construct a new middle school on the Washington Middle School site is estimated at $121.9 million.
After listening to feedback following the 2023 bond referendum, this project would be funded by the proposed $70 million general obligation bond combined with approximately $51.9 million in SAVE funds (one-cent sales tax) already designated to the district.
THE IMPACT.
If a general obligation bond is approved, it would add an additional $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed value to the district’s property tax levy. Use the calculator linked below to calculate the impact of the proposed $1.00 on your specific property.
CALCULATE THE TAX IMPACT ON YOUR PROPERTY
THE BACKGROUND.
In November 2023, a bond measure proposed by the district for five projects received 58.91 percent approval, narrowly failing to reach the 60 percent needed to pass.
Following that measure, the district received feedback on the items included in the bond measure and heard three pieces of consistent feedback:
- There were too many projects included in the bond measure
- The total amount of the proposed bond was too high
- The tax-rate neutral solution was confusing to understand
With continued slightly declining enrollment and state aid for schools not keeping up with the pace of inflation, there continues to be budget pressures on the district. The district’s planning team from INVISION Architecture and the Facility Planning Community Task Force reconvened to review previous planning work and develop a revised plan that will create needed efficiencies while ensuring high-quality facilities for all students.
Learn more about community feedback gathered through the process. View community survey results.
THE FACTS.
Get the answers to the most commonly asked questions about the bond and find the facts on the most common misinformation circulating.
Have a question? Complete our Submit a Question form to let us know, and we’ll be in touch with the answer.
THE VOTE.
The bond issue will be on the Tuesday, November 4, 2025, election ballot during the City/School Election. Learn more about ways to vote.
ADDITIONAL INFO.
As we continue to move forward with planning over the next few months, you can stay up to date with the most recent information and answers to frequently asked questions on this page.