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Duncombe



  
Fern Hayes - Principal                              Snow! NO SCHOOL!!!!!               

Construction of Duncombe School was begun in 1912 when the school board saw there was a growing need for a school in the northeast section of the city. When the land for Duncombe School was purchased, it was a truck garden planted with corn. There were only two or three houses to the north of the school and none to the east. So the school was practically out in the country.

When the plan for the building was made, it called for eight classrooms, a community room, office, and a rest room. Many people said this was too large a building for the needs of the time. But the school board realized that this section of the city would grow. This proved to be true because the very first year the school was used, all eight rooms were filled, and a kindergarten was arranged for in the basement. They were still crowded for space. So the office became a supply room and the rest room an office. Later the community room became two classrooms making the building an eleven classroom structure operating on three floors.

In 1925 an annex of two rooms, moved over from Lincoln School, was added, making a total of thirteen classrooms in use. The upper hall was also used for classes.

One of the reasons for the great need of classrooms was that the seventh and eighth grades were enrolled at Duncombe until the junior high was established in 1931. When the seventh and eighth graders went over to the Junior High there was more room available and the annex became space used as an assembly room for students and community activities. The basement of the annex was used as a practice room for high school wrestlers.

The building was named after Charles F. Duncombe who was president of the board of education at the time the school was constructed and was a distinguished citizen.

One of the outstanding features of the school was the large playground which covered two square blocks. The large field to the east of the school was the athletic field for high school football, baseball, and track practice until Dodger Field was completed in 1940.

In 2015, bricks began to fall from the 100 year old building forcing the building to be closed for safety reasons. The Duncombe School students were temporarily relocated to the former Fair Oaks Middle School that was previously closed when the new Fort Dodge Middle School Building opened in 2013. A bond referendum was passed by the citizens of Fort Dodge in 2016 to build a new Duncombe Elementary School at the same location as the original Duncombe School.

In 2018, the new Duncombe Elementary School was opened, replacing the 105 year structure. Duncombe Elementary serves approximately 450 students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

 

Our New Duncombe Elementary
Opened 2018/19 School Year




 

Michelle Andre
Kent Brooks
Keith Brown
George DeBakey
Steve Dewitt
Lynne Dickerson
Lee Drier
Carol Fisher
Patty Fjetland Schmitt
David Harp
Larry Harris
Kenneth Heinze
Camille Hendrichs
Hadley Jenner
Bruce Jochims
Lant Johnson
Ricky Jones
Pamela Jordison Lundgren
Tim Kelly
John Lehman
Duane Lindner
Kerry McClurg
Eveline Miller
Martha McFadden Miller
Craig Nelson
Joanne Olesen
Bruce Perkins
Karen Person
Anne Reese Schalinske
Carol Schubert
Sandy Skophammer
Michael Sollenbarger
Bob Spillman
Sara Swan Magnusson
Pam Sweet
Jim Ueltchy
Mark Van Gundy
Tim Wendell
Frank Wiewell

 

 




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Duncombe 6th Grade Girls

 

Teacher (R End): Mrs. Noyes. Front Row (L to R): 1. Camille Hendrichs, 2. Sandy Skophammer, 3. Joanne Olesen, 4. Jennifer Strain, 5. Patty Fjetland, 6. Eveline Miller. Back Row (L to R): 7. Aline Lindquist, 8. Tana Miner, 9. Kathy Mulroney, 10. Pam Sweet, 11. Pam Jordison, 12. Karen Person, 13. Michelle Andre.

Duncombe 6th Grade Boys

Front Row:

Kenny Heinze, Dick Staley, Bruce Perkins, Ally Napzok, Craig Nelson, Lant Johnson, Bruce Jochims, Frank Wiewell, Keith Brown, Duane Lindner, Mark Van Gundy

Second Row:

Paul Dreasler, Larry Harris, Jim Ueltchy, Ricky Jones, Bob Winslow, Lee Drier, Bob Spillman, Steve Dewitt, Tim Kelly