Dubuque Middle Schools to Close in Reconfiguration Vote
Families with children in grades six through nine should check their child's assigned building before the November 9 board vote.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Dubuque Community School Board will vote Monday, November 9, 2026, on a recommended secondary school facilities reconfiguration that would close Washington and Jefferson middle schools and realign grades beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year.
Why it matters
For Dubuque families with children in sixth through ninth grade, the plan would change which building their child attends and how grades are split across schools. Two district task forces recommended the third of three facilities scenarios proposed in August, and a community petition asks the board to delay the vote.
The plan would send all sixth- and seventh-grade students to Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School, which is slated for renovation and expansion, while Hempstead High School would serve grades eight and nine and Dubuque Senior High School would serve grades 10 to 12.
The players
Dubuque Community School Board
The elected body governing the Dubuque Community School District, which holds the vote on the facilities reconfiguration plan.
Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School
The Dubuque building slated for renovation and expansion to absorb all sixth- and seventh-grade students under the plan.
The details
Two district task forces evaluated three facilities scenarios proposed in August and recommended the third. Under that scenario, Washington and Jefferson middle schools would close, and Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School would absorb sixth and seventh grades after renovation and expansion. Hempstead High School would take eighth and ninth grades and add a dedicated career and college-readiness space. Board members are also slated to consider approving plans, specifications, form of contract, and total cost estimate for the Eleanor Roosevelt project.
Timeline
August: District proposed three facilities scenarios.
October: Task forces recommended the third scenario.
November 9, 2026, 5:30 p.m.: Board votes on the reconfiguration and hears the petition.
2028-2029 academic year: Planned grade realignments begin.
The Home Front
Closing middle schools and consolidating grades is a district-level facilities decision that shapes which neighborhoods feed which buildings for years. For Dubuque homeowners weighing school assignments, the plan's renovation and grade realignment timeline sets the schedule against which property decisions will be measured.
If your household has children entering sixth through ninth grade, check which building your child's grade would attend under the plan before the vote. Attend or submit comment through the board meeting if you have a view on the petition to delay.
The takeaway
School facilities changes can move students, families, and property values within a few years, so noting the 2028-2029 start date helps with planning. Keep the November 9 meeting on your calendar if your child is affected.
What happens next
The Dubuque Community School Board votes on the reconfiguration plan and hears the community petition at its meeting on November 9, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at 2300 Chaney Road.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how middle and high school changes are shaping family decisions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TelegraphHerald.
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