General

Families of 6th- and 9th-grade students — We are excited to welcome you for Orientation Day this Friday, Aug. 23!

This will be a full day for your student, with the day beginning at your school’s normal Monday through Thursday start time.

Start times are as follows:

Jefferson Middle School
Building opens at 7:20 a.m., classes start at 7:35 a.m.

Roosevelt Middle School
Building opens at 7:30 a.m., classes start at 7:38 a.m.

Washington Middle School
Building opens at 7:25 a.m., classes start at 7:40 a.m.

Dubuque Senior High School
Building opens at 7 a.m., classes start at 7:35 a.m.

Hempstead High School
Building opens at 6:45 a.m., classes start at 7:35 a.m.

If your student is eligible for school bus transportation, buses will run on the normal Monday through Thursday route times listed in the transportation letter your family received.

If you have any questions, please contact your school office. We can’t wait to see you Friday!

Dubuque Community School District staff members kicked of the 2019-2020 school year today with an Opening Gathering. Check out the excitement of #TeamDCSD as the year gets underway!

This year, we celebrated the first students to receive the State of Iowa Seal of Biliteracy. Here’s a snapshot:

Click the image above to enlarge or view the PDF version.

Brenda Duvel

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Brenda Duvel as the district’s next executive director of special education. Duvel will assume this position after serving as principal of Kennedy Elementary School during the 2018-2019 school year.

In this role, Duvel will be responsible for the overall management and coordination of the district’s special education program, while also serving as a liaison between the district, the Area Education Agency, parents and the various community agencies.

“As our search progressed, it became increasingly clear that Brenda possesses the right special education expertise, leadership experience and interpersonal skills to lead this critical area of the district into the future,” said Stan Rheingans, superintendent of schools. “We are pleased to welcome her to our executive leadership team.”

Read More about “Kennedy Principal Named District Executive Director of Special Education”

We love watching a new group of Dubuque Community School District graduates walk across the stage at commencement – and we wish them much success in the future.

Below are the 2019 Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School graduation videos so you can relive the excitement!

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.
Read More about “Maloney Named District’s Next Director of Activities and Athletics”

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.”
Read More about “District Receives 10th Consecutive Excellence in Financial Reporting Award”

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.”