Dubuque Community School District

The Dubuque Community School District (DCSD) is a school district based in Dubuque, Iowa (USA). The DCSD, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is the seventh largest school district in Iowa. As of the 2007-2008 school year, the DCSD has 10,728 students enrolled in its schools.^[1]

General information

The DCSD serves an area covering 245 square miles,^[2] including most of the eastern half of Dubuque County, and a small portion of northern Jackson County. This area includes the city of Dubuque and the outlying communities of: Asbury, Durango, Graf, Rickardsville, Sageville, Sherrill, and St. Donatus.

The DCSD is one of the largest employers in the city of Dubuque, with 1,876 employees,^[2] 846 of which are teachers.^[3] The number of district employees has been rising in recent years due to new school construction, and the expansion of existing schools. In the last three years alone, the DCSD hired 268 new full- and part-time teachers.^[4]

Sources of revenue for the DCSD in the 2005-2006 school year.

The district currently operates:

• 13 elementary schools
• 3 middle schools
• 2 high schools
• 1 alternative high school
• 1 early childhood center
• 2 support buildings
• 1 administration building

The DCSD is governed by a 7-member elected school board and is managed by an appointed Superintendent of Schools. Current school board members include: Adam Mennig, President Mike Brannon, Vice President Craig Beytien, Lesley Stephens, George Davis, Otto Krueger, Larry Loeppke. The Superintendent of Schools is Dr. Larnie Godenez.

The DCSD's budget for the 2005-2006 school year was $133,806,609.

Enrollment

Enrollment history & projections for the Dubuque Community School District 1998-2011.

In the 2007-2008 school year, there were 10,728 students attending schools in the DCSD. 10,627 (99.1%) of those students lived in Dubuque County, and 101 (.9%) lived in Jackson County. Of public school students living in Dubuque County, 81.3% attend DCSD schools.^[5]

Standardized testing results

History

The DCSD was formed in 1856 in Downtown Dubuque. Last year, the district celebrated the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of its founding.

Recent developments

• In December 2002, Dubuque County voters approved a 1% Local-Option Sales Tax, which will expire after 10 years, in July 2013. The extra revenue generated from the tax will pay for the construction of new schools and renovation of existing schools in all Dubuque County School Districts. The DCSD is projected to collect $96.6 million over the 10-year span. To date, the DCSD has invested $67.8 million in new and renovated schools. Sales tax dollars have been used in the construction of Roosevelt Middle School, Carver Elementary School, Prescott Elementary School, and renovation/construction projects at Kennedy Elementary School, Table Mound Elementary School, and Hempstead High School.

• In August 2005, the district opened the new Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School. This project cost $29.7 million and was the first new school built in the district in 35 years. At the same time, all DCSD elementary schools switched to begin teaching in a K-5 grade format while middle schools were changed to house grades 6-8.

• In August 2006, the DCSD opened the newly-rebuilt Prescott Elementary School. The new school cost about $12 million. This building replaces the old Prescott building, which was built in 1913.

• In September 2006, ground was broken on the DCSD's new Carver Elementary School. This will be located adjacent to Roosevelt Middle School, with access off Heacock Rd. Meanwhile, renovation continues at Hempstead High School, which will take several more years to complete.

• In early 2007, the DCSD began receiving a great deal of scorn for a parking shortage at Hempstead High School. The nearly 700-space parking lot, expanded only a few years ago, is again overflowing with cars that are now parking on residential streets near the school. Neighbors have petitioned the City of Dubuque (and received) no-parking permit districts on their streets. However, instead of eliminating the parking problem, the no-parking districts have shifted student parking onto other streets. Currently, the no-parking districts are being adopted on successive streets extending farther and farther out from the school. The school district has entered an agreement with Dubuque Assembly of God Church to lease 48 parking spaces near the school. This is likely only a temporary solution, however, as with growing enrollment at HHS, the parking situation will see little relief.

Schools in DCSD

Elementary schools

• [1] Audubon Elementary School
• [2] Bryant Elementary School
• [3] Carver Elementary School
• [4] Eisenhower Elementary School
• [5] Fulton Elementary School
• [6] Hoover Elementary School
• [7] Irving Elementary School
• [8] Jones Early Childhood Center
• [9] Kennedy Elementary School
• [10] Lincoln Elementary School
• [11] Marshall Elementary School
• [12] Prescott Elementary School
• [13] Sageville Elementary School
• [14] Table Mound Elementary School

Middle schools

• [15] Jefferson Middle School
• [16] Roosevelt Middle School
• [17] Washington Middle School

High schools

• [18] Central Alternative High School CLOSED on June 8, 2010
• [19]Hempstead High School
• [20]Dubuque Senior High School

See also

• Dubuque, Iowa
• List of school districts in Iowa

References

1. ^ "Iowa School District Enrollments 2006-2007". http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=4508&Itemid=774. Retrieved January 23, 2008. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "DCSD Information/Job Openings". http://www.accessdubuquejobs.com/profile.cfm?compa=Home,36. Retrieved November 4, 2006. 
3. ^ "Iowa Dept. of Education: Public school teachers 2006-2007". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928015855/http://www.iowa.gov/educate/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,3259/Itemid,55/. Retrieved May 25, 2007. 
4. ^ "New Teacher Data (p. 18)". http://www.dubuque.k12.ia.us/annualreport06/APR05-06reportV1.pdf. Retrieved November 4, 2006. 
5. ^ "Iowa Dept. of Education: County enrollment by district". http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=4510&Itemid=774. Retrieved January 23, 2008. 

External links

• Dubuque Community School District Website
• DCSD 2005-2006 Annual Report