The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Audubon Elementary School
Audubon Elementary is a neighborhood public school in Dubuque serving preschool through fifth grade. It operates as a regular school within the Dubuque Community School District. The enrollment is small for an elementary school serving this full grade band.
The student body is diverse. Roughly equal shares of students are White and Black, with a substantial presence of students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander as well as students of two or more races. A much smaller portion of the student body is Hispanic, and the Asian and American Indian populations are very small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not available in the source materials.
State assessment results from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress provide a snapshot of academic performance. In both math and English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient was below the midpoint of the range seen across elementary schools in Dubuque County. The proficiency rate in science was lower still, although only a single tested grade contributed to the science result. The school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile among schools in the county. These are the most recent data available, so a year-over-year trend is not yet observable.
The school’s grade span means there is no graduation rate to report, as the school does not serve high school grades.
The school is part of the Dubuque Community School District, which has several initiatives that may be relevant to a parent considering Audubon. The district is in the midst of a transition to Standards-Based Learning, which began in elementary schools during the 2022-23 school year. This approach shifts the focus from traditional letter grades to measuring a student’s progress against specific learning standards. Voters in the district approved a bond referendum in 2024 to fund facility improvements across the district, including HVAC upgrades, security enhancements, and classroom additions, with construction planned through 2027. The district has also established a permanent online school option for students in grades 6 through 12, though that does not directly affect the elementary experience.
Housing in the area around the school, based on the zip code’s home-value and rent indexes, is less expensive than the national benchmark for home values, while rents are close to typical levels. The estimated monthly mortgage payment is higher than the median rent, which is an affordability dynamic common to many markets.
The school is located in Dubuque, a mid-sized city on the Mississippi River where the economy has diversified from its manufacturing roots toward health care, education, financial services, and tourism. The public school district is one of the city’s larger employers. The district’s ongoing facility upgrades and the shift in instructional approach to Standards-Based Learning are worth noting for a family weighing this school. The assessment data give a clear picture of a school whose proficiency rates sit below those of many area schools, which a parent may want to discuss further with the school administration to understand the academic support and programs in place.
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