The Hillcrest K-12 Special Education School Program serves students in our residential programs and with significant behavior problems from surrounding communities. Students are prepared for transition into the public school system.
The School is an independently functioning private school and is certified by the Iowa Department of Education through the Dubuque District, and receives support, consultation and review from Area Education Agencies in the communities where classrooms are located. The average length of stay in the regular Hillcrest classroom is approximately one school year. Students in the Intervention program are sent to Hillcrest for several hours up to 45 days. On average, students from 35 counties are served during the course of an academic year. This includes the students in Residential Education programs.
The School's operating budget is supported through a fee for service per diem from all participating school districts. Start-up costs for new classrooms, major equipment purchases and facility capital needs are supported through charitable giving from individuals, businesses and foundations. Major grants have come from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, the City of Dubuque Community Partnership Grant , The R. J. McElroy Trust of Waterloo , The Dubuque Racing Association, and the John Bergstrom Endowment Fund of Neenah, Wisconsin.
Profile of the Hillcrest Student| 1988 | The Hillcrest School opened in Dubuque with five students and two staff in a single classroom for students in grades 7-12 from Hillcrest’s residential treatment programs. |
| 1989 | Children in their homes or in foster care with behavior and social problems are referred to the school from Dubuque and other nearby school districts. |
| 1993 | Built and opened the new school building and added one residential home on. |
| 1997 | Hillcrest admits elementary students and is designated by the Dubuque District as an Intervention program. This means that Hillcrest serves elementary children from the Dubuque District for short periods of time (not to exceed 45 days) to trouble-shoot problems before they become long-term or to de-escalate volatile situations. |
| 1998 | A Crisis Intervention program begins with the Dubuque Community School District for elementary students. |
| 1999 | With the spreading reputation of our School, many eastern Iowa school districts request that Hillcrest replicate our program in their communities. Satellite classrooms in the DeWitt/Maquoketa and the Bettendorf areas open. A K-6 therapeutic classroom opens for children who have seriously impairing psychiatric diagnosis. |
| 2000 | Summer school begins. Satellite classrooms in the Guttenberg/Postville area open. Play therapy is utilized in the therapeutic classroom. |
| 2001 | A School-to-Work program starts for selected secondary students. Students from Illinois are served for the first time. |
| 2002 | A centralized library forms. A new computer lab is added. Satellite classrooms in Clinton open. Another therapeutic classroom, for grades 6-11, starts. |
| 2004 | Additions to the school included an after-school and breakfast meal, a remodeled school kitchen and a life skills classroom for grades 4-8. |
| 2008 | Planning and fundraising started to add on a new gymnasium so that students will have a place to get their physical exercise even in the cold winter months. |
| 2009 | Today, the school staff includes a principal and associate principal, 14 special education teachers, 42 teacher associates, 2 administrative assistant, 2 on-call teacher associates, 3 substitute teachers. There are 14 classrooms. |
Success with Dedication
For the first time in a long time, students in Hillcrest’s School have success in the classroom because it is non-institutionalized and non-threatening. Students receive personalized attention from highly trained teachers who have opted to work with this very difficult segment of student. Teachers are closely aligned with the residential treatment staff, district professionals and families for follow-through on student’s out-of-classroom treatment. Staff members form close bonds with students. Often times, these children will disclose abuse or rape instances to the teachers before they do so to other professionals. The Hillcrest School fills a unique need. For these children, who are looking at a lifetime colored by their distressing personal histories and severe behavior disorders, getting a basic education is a critical element in having hope for a better life.
Services offered:
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The School satellite sites, contact: Stephanie Carpenter, Associate Principal 2005 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001 Toll free 877-437-6333 Local 563-582-4015 Stephanie.carpenter@hillcrest-fs.org |
The Dubuque site, contact: Mary Jo Pancratz, Principal 2005 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001 Toll free 877-437-6333 Local 563-582-4015 Maryjo.pancratz@hillcrest-fs.org |