Articles from April 2019

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Maloney as the district’s next director of activities and athletics, pending approval by the district Board of Education at its May meeting.

Maloney, who currently serves as principal of Carver Elementary School, will assume the position full-time on July 1. He will succeed Amy Hawkins, who is leaving the position to become the district’s next executive director of human resources.
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The following message was sent to district families and staff on Thursday, April 18, 2019

Dear Families,

After the winter we had this year, it was hard to imagine spring arriving – but we made it!

As planned, we are now looking ahead to the calendar for the remainder of the school year. With the last day of school on June 7, we know that there is at least the possibility of some heat-related issues as we near the year’s final weeks.

With our bank of available hours depleted (even after the addition of the extra 25 minutes to the school day), we will move forward with adjustments to the Friday late arrival schedule for the last four Fridays of the year to ensure enough instructional time to meet the state requirement. To accomplish this:

All schools in the Dubuque Community School District will CANCEL the scheduled Friday-morning, one-hour late arrivals on May 17, May 24, May 31 and June 7.

SCHOOL ON THESE FOUR FRIDAYS WILL START ON THE NORMAL MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY START TIME.

This time will provide us with the flexibility to accommodate any heat issues that may arise.

I would again like to thank each of you for the many accommodations you made this past winter. We look forward to a great spring of learning and I wish you and your student all the best as we complete the school year.

Sincerely,
Stan Rheingans
Superintendent of Schools

The Dubuque Community School District was recently awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) for having met or exceeded the program’s high standards for financial reporting and accountability. The award is for the district’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending in 2018. This is the 10th consecutive year the district has received this honor.

“We are committed to responsibly using and reporting on the financial resources that we are entrusted with,” said Kevin Kelleher, executive director of finance and business services for the Dubuque Community Schools. “Our annual financial report is one tool in doing so and we hope our Certificate of Excellence helps assure taxpayers of our commitment to the highest standards of financial management.”
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Taj Suleyman

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Taj Suleyman as the district’s new director of equity, pending approval by the Board of Education at its April 8 meeting. Suleyman will join the district from his current role as equity outreach coordinator for the City of Dubuque.

In this newly created role, Suleyman will serve as a key district leader who embraces and champions the district’s fundamental value of ensuring equity for all. He will be responsible for organizing, coordinating, communicating and managing various facets of educational equity in the district to enhance student learning while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to maximize the educational opportunities available to each student.

“Taj’s significant leadership experience in creating and managing equity systems combined with his strong relationships across the community make him an ideal fit for this new role,” said Superintendent Stan Rheingans. “He will bring a critical eye to our equity systems with a student-focused commitment that will move the district’s equity initiatives forward with a sense of positivity, optimism and purpose.”
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The Dubuque Community School District has again been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The district is one of 623 schools across the country, and one of four in Iowa, to receive the designation.

The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education.  Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education.

“Music education has long been valued in the Dubuque Community School District and we are pleased to again be honored with the designation,” said Superintendent of Schools Stan Rheingans. “We continue to place emphasis on the important role music and other extracurricular activities play in student success and the development of important real-world skills.”