Walter M Kennedy School

Summary:

Walter M Kennedy School is an elementary school in Pell City, Alabama, serving 454 students in grades K-4. The school is part of the Pell City School District, which is ranked 53 out of 137 districts in the state.

While Walter M Kennedy School has a higher percentage of white students (79.96%) compared to nearby schools like Iola Roberts Elementary (66.75% white) and Coosa Valley Elementary (82.1% white), its academic performance is generally lower. For example, in 3rd grade math, Walter M Kennedy School had a 39.33% proficiency rate, compared to 45.07% at Iola Roberts Elementary and 46.91% at Coosa Valley Elementary. This trend extends to specific student subgroups, such as African American students and those from low-income backgrounds, who perform notably worse at Walter M Kennedy School than at surrounding schools.

Over the past decade, Walter M Kennedy School's statewide ranking has steadily declined, from 212 out of 680 Alabama elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 311 out of 684 in 2023-2024. This may be partly due to the school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.78% to 65.2% over the past three school years, indicating a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Comparing Walter M Kennedy School to the nearby high-performing schools could provide valuable insights and opportunities for improvement.


Detail:

Public K-4

 250 Otis Perry Dr
       Pell City, AL  35128-2037


(205) 338-7896

District: Pell City

SchoolDigger Rank:
311th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,103 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  17.4 Help
Number of students:  454

Racial breakdown:

White:
80.0%
African American:
15.4%
Two or more races:
2.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  65.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Walter M Kennedy School ranks better than 54.5% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Pell City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.19. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80%), African American (15.4%), two or more races (2.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 65.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walter M Kennedy School is 17.4, which is the 2nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Pell City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Walter M Kennedy School employs 26 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walter M Kennedy School is $9,103, which is the 2nd highest among 4 elementary schools in the Pell City School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Walter M Kennedy School:

SchoolDigger ranks Walter M Kennedy School 311th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Walter M Kennedy School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Pell City:

SchoolDigger ranks Pell City 53rd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Walter M Kennedy School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 46.65 357th 623 42.7%
2005 50.38 363rd 688 47.2%
2006 39.97 464th 689 32.7%
2007 50.21 383rd 698 45.1%
2008 40.67 475th 698 31.9%
2009 35.36 527th 696 24.3%
2010 63.84 267th 704 62.1%
2011 64.94 260th 709 63.3%
2012 52.00 412th 696 40.8%
2013 59.02 332nd 696 52.3%
2014 64.52 223rd 695 67.9%
2015 51.53 327th 691 52.7%
2016 52.50 323rd 691 53.3%
2017 65.32 215th 688 68.8%
2018 68.22 212th 680 68.8%
2019 64.96 225th 681 67.0%
2021 63.38 239th 692 65.5%
2022 56.78 298th 687 56.6%
2023 56.53 291st 680 57.2%
2024 55.19 311th 684 54.5%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 68.27 72nd 398 81.9%
2022 63.78 85th 345 75.4%
2023 43.57 194th 373 48.0%
2024 49.27 172nd 395 56.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 61.54 187th 567 67.0%
2018 67.39 182nd 651 72.0%
2019 66.26 180th 649 72.3%
2021 56.79 273rd 653 58.2%
2022 57.91 264th 651 59.4%
2023 54.83 277th 623 55.5%
2024 51.72 337th 670 49.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 65.12 196th 639 69.3%
2018 57.85 288th 640 55.0%
2019 55.73 275th 646 57.4%
2021 58.24 258th 656 60.7%
2022 51.68 317th 656 51.7%
2023 53.96 288th 645 55.3%
2024 52.64 304th 650 53.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 63.44 207th 639 67.6%
2018 77.87 129th 650 80.2%
2019 70.64 167th 650 74.3%
2021 64.47 216th 669 67.7%
2022 59.01 263rd 669 60.7%
2023 56.41 280th 649 56.9%
2024 55.38 299th 655 54.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.84 190th 423 55.1%
2019 55.29 160th 426 62.4%
2021 56.09 149th 426 65.0%
2022 69.27 84th 426 80.3%
2023 26.28 337th 427 21.1%
2024 39.82 239th 420 43.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Walter M Kennedy School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 38.85 220th 369 40.4%
2018 56.80 211th 508 58.5%
2019 48.94 260th 529 50.9%
2021 51.38 242nd 539 55.1%
2022 37.24 341st 540 36.9%
2023 46.63 282nd 528 46.6%
2024 45.61 298th 535 44.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Walter M Kennedy School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Walter M Kennedy School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 674 674
1989 582 94 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 677
1990 586 82 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 669
1991 576 81 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 658
1992 573 88 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 663
1993 575 96 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 673
1994 516 99 3 5 1 n/a n/a 0 624
1995 510 109 0 3 3 n/a n/a 0 625
1996 510 109 0 3 3 n/a n/a 0 625
1997 478 94 3 3 3 n/a n/a 0 581
1998 489 81 2 4 1 n/a n/a 0 577
1999 608 98 0 6 1 n/a n/a 0 713
2000 635 105 1 5 1 n/a n/a 0 747
2001 492 90 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 588
2002 461 83 1 8 2 n/a n/a 0 555
2003 461 83 1 8 2 n/a n/a 0 555
2004 485 93 2 16 1 n/a n/a 0 597
2005 482 86 4 18 4 n/a n/a 0 594
2006 494 84 5 15 1 n/a n/a 0 599
2007 516 76 3 17 5 n/a n/a 0 617
2008 556 98 2 20 2 n/a n/a 0 678
2009 453 75 1 14 1 n/a n/a 0 544
2010 449 70 5 18 1 n/a n/a 0 543
2011 475 78 4 21 1 0 5 0 584
2012 379 74 2 13 1 0 10 0 479
2013 344 79 1 9 0 1 10 0 444
2014 358 83 2 9 2 0 16 0 470
2015 349 74 3 12 3 0 20 0 461
2016 331 70 2 12 3 0 11 0 429
2017 369 72 1 16 2 0 20 0 480
2018 378 84 1 13 2 0 15 0 493
2019 374 73 5 13 1 0 14 0 480
2020 364 73 3 11 0 0 19 0 470
2021 329 64 6 7 0 0 13 0 419
2022 357 64 2 10 0 0 16 0 449
2023 363 70 2 5 1 0 13 0 454

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Walter M Kennedy School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 674 30.0 22.4 0
1989 677 29.0 23.3 n/a
1990 669 31.0 21.5 0
1991 658 29.0 22.6 n/a
1992 663 31.0 21.3 n/a
1993 673 32.0 21.0 n/a
1994 624 35.0 17.8 n/a
1995 625 37.0 16.9 n/a
1996 625 37.0 16.9 n/a
1997 581 39.2 14.8 47.3
1998 577 38.2 15.1 44.7
1999 713 43.0 16.6 51.5
2000 747 45.8 16.3 51.7
2001 588 43.7 13.5 49.7
2002 555 40.0 13.9 46.7
2003 555 40.0 13.9 46.7
2004 597 39.3 15.2 48.2
2005 594 41.0 14.5 48
2006 599 39.0 15.4 44.9
2007 617 42.2 14.6 38.9
2008 678 41.3 16.4 45.4
2009 544 34.7 15.5 48.3
2010 543 35.3 15.3 50.6
2011 584 37.6 15.5 56.7
2012 479 30.0 15.9 59.1
2013 444 34.0 13.0 57.4
2014 470 28.1 16.7 58.1
2015 461 27.0 17.0 57.3
2016 429 24.0 17.8 55.7
2017 480 28.8 16.6 56.3
2018 493 29.5 16.7 56.4
2019 480 27.5 17.4 52.7
2020 470 27.0 17.4 51.7
2021 419 30.0 13.9 55.4
2022 449 24.0 18.7 50.8
2023 454 26.0 17.4 65.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Walter M Kennedy School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 674 30.0 22.4 0
1989 677 29.0 23.3 n/a
1990 669 31.0 21.5 0
1991 658 29.0 22.6 n/a
1992 663 31.0 21.3 n/a
1993 673 32.0 21.0 n/a
1994 624 35.0 17.8 n/a
1995 625 37.0 16.9 n/a
1996 625 37.0 16.9 n/a
1997 581 39.2 14.8 47.3
1998 577 38.2 15.1 44.7
1999 713 43.0 16.6 51.5
2000 747 45.8 16.3 51.7
2001 588 43.7 13.5 49.7
2002 555 40.0 13.9 46.7
2003 555 40.0 13.9 46.7
2004 597 39.3 15.2 48.2
2005 594 41.0 14.5 48
2006 599 39.0 15.4 44.9
2007 617 42.2 14.6 38.9
2008 678 41.3 16.4 45.4
2009 544 34.7 15.5 48.3
2010 543 35.3 15.3 50.6
2011 584 37.6 15.5 56.7
2012 479 30.0 15.9 59.1
2013 444 34.0 13.0 57.4
2014 470 28.1 16.7 58.1
2015 461 27.0 17.0 57.3
2016 429 24.0 17.8 55.7
2017 480 28.8 16.6 56.3
2018 493 29.5 16.7 56.4
2019 480 27.5 17.4 52.7
2020 470 27.0 17.4 51.7
2021 419 30.0 13.9 55.4
2022 449 24.0 18.7 50.8
2023 454 26.0 17.4 65.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Walter M Kennedy School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,719 (18.9%) $7,374 (81.0%) $9,103

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walter M Kennedy School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 225th of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 291st of 680 Elementary schools
 9.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walter M Kennedy School)55.637.9
 17.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Pell City)62.742
 20.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walter M Kennedy School)55.336.8
 18.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Pell City)49.437.8
 11.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students480454
 5.4%
African American7370
 4.1%
American Indian11
Asian52
 60%
Hispanic135
 61.5%
Pacific Islander00
White374363
 2.9%
Two or More Races1413
 7.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients52.7%65.2%
 12.5%


Schools Near Walter M Kennedy School









Frequently Asked Questions about Walter M Kennedy School

Students who attend Walter M Kennedy School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Duran Junior High School
Middle : Williams Intermediate School
High : Pell City High School

Students at Walter M Kennedy School are 80% White, 15% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

In the 2022-23 school year, 454 students attended Walter M Kennedy School.

Walter M Kennedy School ranks 311th of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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