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Hempstead High School

Public Grades 9-12

268^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 21% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Hempstead High School is a public high school in Dubuque, Iowa, serving 1,549 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Dubuque Community School District, which is ranked 262 out of 313 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Hempstead High School has had a relatively stable four-year graduation rate, ranging from 81.9% to 88.3% in recent years, this is slightly lower than the state average of around 90%. The school also struggles with a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 21.6% to 31.2%, which is significantly higher than the state average and the nearby Dubuque Senior High School, which has a chronic absenteeism rate of around 21.6%. Hempstead High School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally below the state averages and the scores of Dubuque Senior High School.

Compared to other schools in the area, Hempstead High School lags behind the nearby Dubuque Senior High School in terms of academic performance, but outperforms the Dubuque Online School. Hempstead High School's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past decade, dropping from 116th in 2014-2015 to 268th in 2024-2025, suggesting the school is struggling to keep pace with other high schools in Iowa.

1,499

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,575

Per pupil spending ?

42%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3715 Pennsylvania Ave
Dubuque, IA 52002

(563) 552-5200

District: Dubuque Community School District

Feeder schools for Hempstead High School:

Elementary:	Audubon Elementary School
	Carver Elementary School
	Eisenhower Elementary School
	John Kennedy Elementary School
	More...
	Marshall Elementary School
	Sageville Elementary School
Middle:	Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.8%

African American:

7.6%

Hispanic:

5.2%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Hempstead High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (63% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg62%

Iowa avg69%

268^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 43 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Dubuque Community School District

262^nd of 313Dubuque Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	32.6	268 of 340	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.9	239 of 338	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.6	199 of 336	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.0	203 of 332	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.9	190 of 327	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.6	209 of 327	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	194 of 320	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.2	236 of 325	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.4	223 of 320	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	67.7	116 of 324	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.0	192 of 322	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	61.6	149 of 351	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.3	131 of 351	62.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science66%~ state avg

English Language Arts64%-9 vs state

Mathematics61%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hempstead High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hempstead High School	Public	9-12	3715 Pennsylvania Ave	Dubuque	52002	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-5200	1,499	97	15.4	42.0%	1,151 (76.8%)	114 (7.6%)	78 (5.2%)	21 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (3.9%)	71 (4.7%)	32.6	268^th of 340 public high schools	21.2%		39.9	239^th of 338 public high schools	29.3%	29		66.1	66.4	59.8		56.4	67.8	59.5		65.9	$14,575	$123	$14,453
Dubuque Online School	Public, Virtual	6-12	2300 Chaney Rd	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(563) 552-3000	249	11	22.4	54.2%	191 (76.7%)	26 (10.4%)	15 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	12 (4.8%)	2.9	325^th of 340 public high schools	4.4%		1	329^th of 338 public high schools	2.7%	4	64.3	60.0	57.9	39.0	28.6	33.3	36.8	25.9	28.6	26.3
Dubuque Senior High School	Public	9-12	1800 Clarke Dr	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-5500	1,490	132	11.3	43.6%	1,081 (72.6%)	158 (10.6%)	92 (6.2%)	11 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (3.3%)	93 (6.2%)	34	262^nd of 340 public high schools	22.9%		45.1	219^th of 338 public high schools	35.2%	43		60.9	62.6	64.7		62.7	72.2	63.8		58.2	$15,535	$392	$15,143
Western Dubuque High School	Public	9-12	302 5th Ave SW	Epworth	52045	Dubuque County	Western Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 663-9642	927	58	16.0	19.0%	862 (93.0%)	11 (1.2%)	28 (3.0%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.2%)	83.8	19^th of 340 public high schools	94.4%		81	29^th of 338 public high schools	91.4%	10		87.6	84.9	86.2		82.2	85.7	87.1		85.3	$13,456	$147	$13,310

Frequently Asked Questions about Hempstead High School

What schools feed into Hempstead High School?

Hempstead High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Audubon Elementary School
Elementary : Carver Elementary School
Elementary : Eisenhower Elementary School
Elementary : John Kennedy Elementary School
Elementary : Marshall Elementary School
Elementary : Sageville Elementary School
Middle : Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Is Hempstead High School a good school?

Hempstead High School ranks in the bottom 21.2% of Iowa high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Hempstead High School?

Students at Hempstead High School are 77% White, 8% African American, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Hempstead High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,499 students attended Hempstead High School.

What district is Hempstead High School in?

Dubuque Community School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.