What's New at Dubuque Community Schools

Join us for a special Community Education Series Event entitled “Youth Substance Abuse: Hidden in Plain Sight” on Tuesday, February 27, from 6-8 p.m. in Roling Auditorium at Washington Middle School. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

VIEW THE FULL EVENT FLYER (PDF)
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This event is recommended for parents/guardians and those that support youth in grades 4-12. ADMISSION IS FREE AND NO RSVP IS NECESSARY.

This event is for adults only, no students please.

AT THE PROGRAM

Learn about current substances and the impact on young adults in our community from local experts, including:

• Vaping and Tobacco
• Illegal Substances in Our Community

PLUS, an Interactive Resource Fair featuring:

Hidden in Plain Sight Room Display: Walk through the display to search for
indicators of substance use and possible hiding spots.

Impaired Vision Pedal Kart + Simulation Goggles: Safely experience the effects of alcohol and common drugs while driving a kart or completing simple tasks.

A variety of community partners will also be on hand and available to answer questions and offer resources.

Online. In your backyard. Out of this world!

DUBUQUE ONLINE SCHOOL for middle and high school students is the only online school based right here in the Dubuque area, giving students and families another way to get a top-notch Dubuque Community School District education!

Considering Dubuque Online School for your soon-to-be 9th-grader?

Learn more at an informational webinar on Monday, February 5 at 7 p.m.

JOIN THE WEBINAR

At the webinar, you’ll explore:

• Dubuque Online School mission and values
• The typical student day
• Curriculum offerings and student programming
• Frequently asked questions
• The enrollment process

Dubuque Online School provides middle (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) with a rigorous course schedule of online instruction delivered through a combination of:

• on-demand classes using Imagine Edgenuity online learning platform
• live virtual classes using Microsoft Teams video streaming platform

Visit the Dubuque Online School website to learn more.

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior recently qualified to compete at the 2024 IGHSAU Wrestling State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students:

State Qualifiers

Hempstead High School

130 Weight Class

• Ayla Osterkamp

140 Weight Class

• Annabel Blanchard

155 Weight Class

• Paige Howieson

235 Weight Class

• Katelyn Brokus

Dubuque Senior High School

130 Weight Class

• Alyssa Seippel

135 Weight Class

• Karise Benson

140 Weight Class

• Jolee Strohmeyer

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce that 12 district buildings have earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Certification for 2023. This recognition is presented to the most energy efficient buildings in the country.

“ENERGY STAR recognition underscores our district’s commitment to energy efficiency,” said Dubuque Community School District Superintendent Amy Hawkins. “Our energy conservation efforts are saving taxpayer dollars while also helping protect the local environment and maintaining healthy, comfortable learning spaces for students and staff.”

To earn ENERGY STAR Certification, buildings must rate in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency and meet ventilation standards.

Dubuque Community School District buildings earning ENERGY STAR Certification include:

• Audubon Elementary School
• Carver Elementary School
• Dubuque Senior High School
• Eisenhower Elementary School
• Hempstead High School
• Irving Elementary School
• Kennedy Elementary School
• Marshall Elementary School
• Prescott Elementary School
• Roosevelt Middle School
• Sageville Elementary School
• Table Mound Elementary School

Since partnering with Cenergistic on a comprehensive energy conservation program, the Dubuque Community School District has saved an estimated $2,054,909, with an environmental impact equivalent to taking 1,185 cars off the street or removing the energy used from 671 homes for a year.

The cost of utilities is the second-largest operational budget line-item for Dubuque Community School District, and the prices for electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage have been steadily increasing.

To combat these rising energy and utility costs, Dubuque Community School District entered into a partnership with Cenergistic to implement a comprehensive organizational behavior-driven energy conservation program throughout all its buildings and campuses. Cenergistic guarantees the conservation program will save taxpayer dollars. Since the program was first implemented, Dubuque Community Schools has reduced its energy consumption by 22 percent.

Dubuque Community Schools’ comprehensive energy conservation program addresses energy use throughout the organization. Energy specialists track energy consumption at all campuses through state-of-the-art technology to identify and correct areas where energy is over-used.

Energy Specialist Josh Pociask works closely with district personnel as well as Cenergistic engineers and experts to continually optimize systems and schedules. Together they monitor energy use with advanced technology and shape energy-using practices through education — affecting how each person in the organization understands, uses, and saves energy for years to come. The outcome is healthier, more efficient buildings using less energy — and lower related costs.

At its January 8, 2024 meeting, the Dubuque Community School District Board of Education approved and presented a proclamation declaring January 14 and 15 as Days of Great Celebration in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

READ THE PROCLAMATION

Enrollment and registration for FREE four-year-old preschool in the Dubuque Community School District will begin on Monday, Jan. 8.

This includes all 12 Dubuque public elementary schools as well as the district’s new preschool center on Chavenelle Road offering preschool through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program.

NEW THIS YEAR, parents and guardians may enroll students ONLINE beginning at NOON on Monday, January 8, at www.dbqschools.org/preschool.

All district elementary schools and the district’s main office will have computers and staff assistance available beginning January 8 for families needing internet access to complete preschool enrollment and registration.

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 and registration 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 12 (including submission of proof of age and proof of residency) will be considered in the first round of placement notifications beginning on January 19.

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 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 Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the Dubuque Community School District Board of Education approved the school calendars for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

View the approved calendars

The Dubuque Community School District is excited to open Seedlings Preschool Center, a new state-of-the-art preschool center in Dubuque’s industrial center for the start of the next school year.

The 18,000-square-foot Seedlings Preschool Center, located in the soon-to-be-renovated former Medline building on Chavenelle Road, will also offer streamlined access to wrap-around child care programming in the adjacent Dubuque Community Y Early Learning Center.

ENROLL NOW AT SEEDLINGS PRESCHOOL CENTER

Seedlings was designed entirely with our earliest learners in mind, including:

• Up to 10 newly renovated classrooms
• A fully accessible outdoor playground
• Specially designed sensory spaces
• Meal service and common spaces
• A dedicated team of preschool teachers and support staff

Both morning and afternoon preschool slots will be available for families. Enrollment and registration for Seedlings Preschool Cener (and all other Dubuque Community School District preschool sites) is now open at www.dbqschools.org/preschool.

Wrap-Around Child Care: The Dubuque Community Y Early Learning Center is connected to the preschool center and allows for a seamless transition between child care and preschool programming.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DUBUQUE COMMUNITY Y EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Outstanding Delegates from Dubuque Senior High School’s Model United Nations club attended the Iowa Youth Symposium at the State Capitol in Des Moines, a dynamic event bringing together young leaders from high schools around Iowa to discuss pressing global issues. There were 208 participants from 16 different Iowa high schools. Students discussed, debated, and collaborated by assuming the role of United States diplomats within the United Nations. The annual Model UN conference commemorates International United Nations Day and the anniversary of the ratification of the UN Charter on October 24, 1945.

This year’s conference featured five committees in which students debated the US position within the UN on reparations, recognition of the International Court of Justice, the growing dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and bans on social media. During committee sessions, students learned about the procedures for engaging in diplomacy and the importance of international cooperation. Participants showcased their critical thinking and negotiation abilities.

The conference featured distinguished speakers, including the Honorary United Nations Day Chair, Jackson Geadelmann who delivered the keynote address. Geadelmann is a current University of Iowa College of Law student and Iowa United Nations Association board member. In his remarks, Geadelmann highlighted the importance of the United Nations to facilitate international cooperation, and especially the need for young people to be involved in building consensus and solving global issues.

During the pre-plenary session, 75 outstanding regional delegates had the opportunity to discuss their position papers and policy proposals with local experts. From Dubuque Senior High School’s Model United Nations club, Owen May, Donovan Dremmel, Olivia Brimeyer, Fred Raymond, Charlie Branscomb, Wyatt Branscomb, Allie Cook, Maura Lawler, Will Wernimont, and Ben Schaefer were selected as outstanding regional delegates to represent Dubuque.

Students participated in roundtable discussions with Dr. Negus Imhotep (chair of the Des Moines Civil & Human Rights Commission), Professor John C. Reitz (Professor Emeritus of the University of Iowa College of Law), Alicia Vastos (Water Program Director for the Iowa Energy Council), Dr. Debra DeLaet (Drake University Political Science Professor), and Dr. Sharonda Woodford (Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Drake University).

Two outstanding delegates were identified in each of the five committees (economic, political, science, social, and technology) for their exemplary leadership, contributions, and ability to build consensus. Ben Schaefer of Dubuque Senior High School was selected as one of two outstanding delegates in the Science Committee and one of 10 students overall.

Dubuque Senior High School’s Model United Nations club provides a setting for young people to learn about the work of United Nations diplomats while engaging in productive discussions with students from around the state. Kristin Weiland serves as the club advisor at Dubuque Senior. Owen May, second year participate in Model UN, said “Model United Nations can help expand your worldview through friendly debate with others…”. Allie Cook started this year as a senior and said “Model United Nations is an enriching experience to learn hands on about the internal workings of international politics. I am so glad I joined because of my newfound knowledge on the subject and the camaraderie that is built within the club.”

For more information about Model United Nations and the Iowa Youth Symposium, please visit Iowa Youth Symposium.

The Dubuque Community School District has released draft calendars for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

View the DRAFT 2024-2025 School Calendar

View the DRAFT 2025-2026 School Calendar

NOTE: The draft calendar feedback period has now closed.