The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Dubuque, Iowa, as a regular public school within the Dubuque Community School District. It is one of the district’s neighborhood elementary schools, located in a residential area of the city. The student body is moderate in size for an elementary building, with a mix of backgrounds that gives the school a notably diverse character. Black and white students each make up roughly comparable shares of the enrollment, followed by a substantial proportion of students who identify as two or more races, with smaller numbers of Hispanic and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic circumstances of many families in the attendance zone.
State testing results from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) for the 2024-2025 school year provide a snapshot of how students are performing in the core subjects. In math, a substantial share of students met the state proficiency standard, and in English language arts the share was similar. In science, which is tested at the elementary level only in a single grade, the proficiency rate was lower. These results place the school’s overall academic performance in the bottom quarter among districts in Dubuque County when comparing a combined proficiency index. The school has only one year of assessment data available in the format examined, so there is no trend line to indicate whether performance is improving or declining—a parent interested in trajectory would want to check with the school for additional years of results.
The elementary years are not measured by graduation rates, so that metric does not apply. The school’s attendance and discipline data were not available in the material examined, so a parent may want to ask directly about those patterns. Similarly, information on individualized education programs and English learner populations was missing from the profile, which is a gap worth noting if those services matter to a family.
Dubuque itself is a mid-sized city on the Mississippi River with an economy that has diversified beyond its historical manufacturing base into health care, publishing, financial services, and tourism. The city has seen steady redevelopment along the riverfront and downtown over the past three decades, including a major infrastructure project that turned industrial land into a cultural campus with a museum, riverwalk, and entertainment venues. The housing market in the school’s zip code shows home values that are modest by national standards and somewhat below the state average, and rents that are also moderate. Monthly mortgage and rent costs are broadly similar to each other, meaning renting and buying are both plausible options depending on a family’s circumstances.
The Dubuque Community School District has several changes underway that directly affect families at Lincoln Elementary. Voters approved a bond referendum in 2024 that will fund facility improvements across the district, including HVAC upgrades, security enhancements, classroom additions, and accessibility work. Construction is planned through 2027, so families moving into the school now will encounter some ongoing renovation activity. The district has also shifted to Standards-Based Learning, beginning in elementary schools in 2022-2023, which replaces traditional letter grades with a model that measures students against specific learning standards. Parents coming from a conventional grading system should expect a different kind of report card and progress conversation. Finally, the district launched a full-time virtual school for grades 6-12, though that option does not directly affect an elementary school; it may be relevant for families planning ahead.
Lincoln Elementary offers the standard elementary curriculum within a district that is investing in its facilities and instructional approach. The school’s academic results are moderate, with room for improvement particularly in science, and the diversity of its student body may be a draw for families seeking a representative urban elementary experience. The wider community of Dubuque provides a stable economic base and a walkable historic core, though the school itself sits in a more auto-oriented residential neighborhood. A parent evaluating this school will want to visit, ask about how the Standards-Based Learning transition is working in practice, and look into the specific supports available for students who are struggling or who need enrichment.
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