Western Dubuque Community School District

The Western Dubuque Community School District operates 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, serving students from preschool through 12th grade. The district is highly ranked, with an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger and a state ranking of 85 out of 313 school districts in Iowa.

Several schools within the district stand out for their exceptional performance. Western Dubuque High School is ranked 19th out of 340 Iowa high schools and has a 5-star rating, with consistently high test scores and an above-average graduation rate. Similarly, Cascade Junior-Senior High School is ranked 24th in the state and also has a 5-star rating, with impressive test scores and a strong graduation rate. At the elementary level, Peosta Elementary School stands out, ranking 98th out of 576 Iowa elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating, with exceptional performance in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

While the district as a whole and several individual schools demonstrate consistently high academic performance, there are some areas for improvement. The chronic absenteeism rate across all schools is a concern, at 21.6%, which is an issue the district should address. Additionally, there is significant variation in student demographics and resource allocation, as evidenced by the differences in free and reduced lunch rates and spending per student across the schools. By addressing these challenges and sharing best practices across the district, the Western Dubuque Community School District can continue to provide a high-quality education for all its students.