SECTION I

Enrollment / Registration

In this section:

  • New Student Enrollment + Registration
  • Residency Guidelines
  • Permissions
  • In-District Transfer
  • District-to-District Open Enrollment

Download a printable version of this section:
ENROLLMENT / REGISTRATION (PDF)

New Student Enrollment + Registration

Welcome to the Dubuque Community School District! Start the enrollment process by completing the following steps:

1. COMPLETE AND SUBMIT NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT APPLICATION

NEW for the 2024-2025 School Year: Enrollment for all new students to the district may be completed ONLINE.

Go to www.dbqschools.org/enrollment and click on ENROLL NOW!

2. SUBMIT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS » The following documents are required for new student enrollment and, if applicable, for current students with a change of address:

  • Proof of Residence
  • Proof of Age (based on grade level)

Go to www.dbqschools.org/enrollment/required-documents for details including ways to submit.

Enrollment applications will not be considered complete until these documents have been submitted.

3. SUBMIT REQUIRED PAPERWORK » The following additional paperwork, based on grade level, may be required to be submitted before the first day of school:

  • Physical Examination
  • Immunization Certificate
  • Dental Screening Certificate
  • Vision Screening Certificate

Go to www.dbqschools.org/enrollment/required-paperwork for details including ways to submit.

Visit www.dbqschools.org/enrollment for more information.

NOTE: Existing students currently enrolled will receive information annually outlining the necessary forms and procedures for completing annual registration verification.

Residency Guidelines

Iowa law requires a student to be a resident of the district in which they attend school. A student’s school assignment in the Dubuque Community School District is geographically based and determined by the student’s address of residence. Submitting proof of residency is required to ensure the ability to confirm this assignment.

Parents/guardians wishing to have their student attend a district school other than the one assigned by geography will need to complete an In-District Transfer Application in accordance with the established guidelines. See next page for more information on In-District Transfer.

NOTE: If your student(s) resides in another Iowa school district, an Iowa District-to-District Open Enrollment application is required. If your student(s) does not reside in Iowa, tuition is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. For additional information, please contact the District Enrollment Office at 563/552-3000. Also see next page for more information on District-to-District Open Enrollment.

Proof of Residency (see list of accepted documents below)

Required for:

  • all new students to the district, including new students added to a current household
  • current students who have a change in address

An acceptable document:

  • must be current and include a date
  • must include the name and address that matches the name and address of the parent or legal guardian of the student(s) being enrolled

Please provide one of the following:

  • mortgage statement from last or current month
  • current rental or lease agreement
  • utility bill from last or current month
  • current property record or most recent tax receipt
  • bank statement from last or current month
  • pay stub from last or current month

Permissions

Each year, the Dubuque Community School District seeks necessary permissions from parents/guardians in a variety of areas. These permissions are received during the annual registration verification process.

In-District Transfer

In-District Transfer refers to students who live in the Dubuque Community School District and are opting to enroll in a different school than their home school. The Dubuque Community School District offers K-12 in-district transfer to an attendance center other than the home center on a space-available basis. The intent of the policy is to permit a wide range of educational choices for students and to maximize the ability of parents/guardians to use those choices. Because of limited space, certain restrictions/conditions are necessary. For more information, or an application, refer to school board policy #6218 In-District Transfer, available on the district’s website at www.dbqschools.org.

District-to-District Open Enrollment

District-to-District Open Enrollment is the process by which parents residing in an Iowa district may enroll their children into another Iowa school district under the terms and conditions of Iowa Code section 282.18 and the administrative rules of the Iowa Department of Education, 281 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 17.

Parents or guardians requesting open enrollment in or out of the school district must complete an application form that is available in the central office of all Iowa school districts and available via the Iowa Department of Education’s website at www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/options-educational-choice/open-enrollment. The completed form must be filed with both the resident and the receiving district for each child in the family for which open enrollment is desired. The application deadline for students in grades 1-12 to open enroll for the upcoming school year is March 1; and the deadline for kindergarten students to open enroll for the current school year in September 1.

Applications shall indicate the current grade level and whether or not the student is in a special education program. The parent/guardian may request the desired attendance center, but final placement is subject to board or administrative discretion.

According to the Iowa Department of Education Open Enrollment Handbook, students who open enroll in grades nine through 12 are not eligible to participate in varsity contests and competitions during the first 90 school days of transfer (not counting summer school) unless an exception applies allowing immediate eligibility. For a list of exceptions to this rule, please see Iowa Administrative Code subrule 281—36.15(4).

The parent/guardian is responsible for transporting the student to and from the receiving district, unless the family qualifies for transportation assistance according to income guidelines. If the parent/guardian qualifies for transportation assistance and requests it, the resident district must provide transportation assistance in accordance with established guidelines.

The open enrollment application is valid for the duration of the student’s attendance. Open enrollment to the receiving district continues until the student graduates or until the parent/guardian notifies the district in writing that they desire to terminate open enrollment (Iowa Code section 282.18(6)).

A school district may deny an open enrollment for the following reasons as outlined by the State of Iowa:

  • The district is not able to provide the appropriate special education program.
  • The student is under suspension or expulsion.
  • The district has insufficient classroom space to accommodate the student.
  • The student was previously open enrolled to the district, was defined as truant and not permitted to open enroll back to the receiving district again by the receiving district school board.
  • The application was filed after the deadline without good cause.

If open enrollment is denied, the parent/guardian may appeal to Iowa District Court. If the application meets good cause due to alleged repeated acts of harassment or if the child is alleged to have a serious health condition that the resident district cannot adequately address, an appeal may be filed with the Iowa State Board of Education.

For more information, refer to school board policy #6217 and #6217-A, available on the district’s website at www.dbqschools.org.

Required Notification

Districts must notify parents of open enrollment deadlines, transportation assistance, and possible loss of athletic eligibility for open enrollment of students by September 30 of each school year. Notification shall also be provided to any parent/guardian who transfers into the district during the school year.