Is John F. Kennedy High School a good school?

John F. Kennedy High School ranks in the bottom 5.5% of Connecticut high schools.

How many students attend John F. Kennedy High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,297 students attended John F. Kennedy High School.

What is the racial makeup of John F. Kennedy High School?

Students at John F. Kennedy High School are 61% Hispanic, 22% African American, 12% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What schools feed into John F. Kennedy High School?

John F. Kennedy High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : B. W. Tinker School Elementary : Bunker Hill School Elementary : Driggs School Elementary : Duggan School Elementary : Gilmartin School Elementary : Hopeville School Middle : West Side Middle School

John F. Kennedy High School

Summary:

John F. Kennedy High School is a public high school serving 1,297 students in grades 9-12 in Waterbury, Connecticut, a district ranked 151 out of 158 in the state with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's student population is predominantly Hispanic (60.83%) and African American (22.28%), with a high percentage (over 79%) of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, John F. Kennedy High School consistently ranks among the lower-performing high schools in Connecticut, with standardized test scores significantly below state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 21.6% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 54.8%, and only 6.3% were proficient or better in SAT/Math, compared to the state average of 29.5%. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with African American and English Language Learner students performing slightly better than their peers.

When compared to other high schools in the Waterbury School District, such as Wilby High School and Crosby High School, the performance metrics are quite similar, suggesting that the challenges faced by John F. Kennedy High School are reflective of broader issues within the district. However, the success of Waterbury Career Academy and Waterbury Arts Magnet School, both in the Waterbury School District, indicates that targeted interventions and innovative educational approaches can lead to improved student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

422 Highland Ave.
Waterbury, CT 06708

(203) 574-8153

District: Waterbury School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
137^th of 145 Connecticut High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,727

Feeder schools for John F. Kennedy High School:

Elementary:	B. W. Tinker School
	Bunker Hill School
	Driggs School
	Duggan School
	More...
	Gilmartin School
	Hopeville School
Middle:	West Side Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 1,297

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.8%

African American:

22.3%

White:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.1%

See top rated Connecticut high schools

Compare John F. Kennedy High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John F. Kennedy High School ranks worse than 94.5% of high schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked high schools in the Waterbury School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.02. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at John F. Kennedy High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details John F. Kennedy High School has the largest high school student body size in the Waterbury School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John F. Kennedy High School is $18,727. 3 high schools in the Waterbury School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John F. Kennedy High School:

SchoolDigger ranks John F. Kennedy High School 137^th of 145 Connecticut public high schools. (See John F. Kennedy High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Waterbury School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterbury School District 151^st of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John F. Kennedy High School

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Rank History for all students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2007	16.67	151^st	176	14.2%
2008	9.65	161^st	176	8.5%
2009	28.21	146^th	176	17.0%
2010	20.85	157^th	186	15.6%
2011	14.02	168^th	189	11.1%
2012	17.36	163^rd	188	13.3%
2013	10.31	171^st	193	11.4%
2015	13.34	177^th	196	9.7%
2016	9.15	120^th	132	9.1%
2017	8.28	131^st	140	6.4%
2019	7.74	114^th	121	5.8%
2021	17.72	161^st	200	19.5%
2022	7.74	131^st	139	5.8%
2023	7.22	132^nd	142	7.0%
2024	7.02	137^th	145	5.5%

See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	13.04	5^th	17	70.6%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2021	26.24	133^rd	175	24.0%
2023	6.27	14^th	14	0.0%
2024	17.14	10^th	11	9.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	11.71	37^th	37	0.0%
2021	26.00	115^th	155	25.8%
2022	12.23	62^nd	63	1.6%
2023	9.26	68^th	70	2.9%
2024	7.20	64^th	65	1.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2021	25.41	138^th	189	27.0%
2022	6.13	98^th	106	7.5%
2023	4.85	98^th	103	4.9%
2024	7.46	94^th	102	7.8%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	3.81	78^th	78	0.0%
2019	4.41	79^th	80	1.3%
2021	12.23	157^th	182	13.7%
2022	5.26	99^th	102	2.9%
2023	4.24	95^th	100	5.0%
2024	4.12	99^th	100	1.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.02	32^nd	58	44.8%
2022	29.95	22^nd	25	12.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	20.80	19^th	20	5.0%
2021	32.95	61^st	104	41.3%
2022	22.76	47^th	59	20.3%
2023	14.46	59^th	63	6.3%
2024	14.19	60^th	63	4.8%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.52	135^th	155	12.9%
2024	0.09	116^th	116	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut 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.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for John F. Kennedy High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	425	148	15	181	5	n/a	n/a	774
1989	417	178	18	186	0	n/a	n/a	799
1990	405	187	8	204	4	n/a	n/a	808
1991	549	153	0	230	6	n/a	n/a	938
1992	508	188	16	302	3	n/a	n/a	1017
1993	499	200	22	313	2	n/a	n/a	1036
1994	495	226	20	337	2	n/a	n/a	1080
1995	386	200	14	317	6	n/a	n/a	923
1996	386	200	14	317	6	n/a	n/a	923
1997	375	183	16	341	6	n/a	n/a	921
1998	350	170	19	310	5	n/a	n/a	854
1999	388	193	17	367	5	n/a	n/a	970
2000	382	208	17	403	4	n/a	n/a	1014
2001	433	245	16	403	6	n/a	n/a	1103
2002	498	280	22	463	9	n/a	n/a	1272
2003	498	280	22	463	9	n/a	n/a	1272
2004	523	296	28	505	7	n/a	n/a	1359
2005	509	279	28	451	5	n/a	n/a	1272
2006	404	220	26	338	4	n/a	n/a	992
2007	468	301	22	509	5	n/a	n/a	1305
2008	461	303	30	517	2	n/a	n/a	1313
2009	448	293	25	535	5	n/a	n/a	1306
2010	461	309	22	574	3	n/a	n/a	1369
2011	446	299	2	586	9	0	26	1368
2012	439	330	27	608	7	0	3	1414
2013	403	293	18	615	6	2	21	1358
2014	343	303	16	586	5	2	31	1286
2015	298	299	25	638	6	1	37	1304
2016	277	289	25	660	14	0	36	1301
2017	236	272	30	670	17	0	27	1252
2018	281	254	26	669	14	0	29	1273
2019	246	250	21	692	11	0	24	1244
2020	206	247	18	670	10	0	18	1169
2021	189	281	17	690	15	0	24	1216
2022	170	308	22	777	15	0	34	1326
2023	157	289	19	789	14	0	29	1297

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 John F. Kennedy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	774	61.0	12.6	n/a
1989	799	60.0	13.3	n/a
1990	808	62.0	13.0	n/a
1991	938	72.0	13.0	n/a
1992	1017	72.4	14.0	24.7
1993	1036	73.4	14.1	3.1
1994	1080	75.6	14.3	39.8
1995	923	80.1	11.5	42.8
1996	923	80.1	11.5	42.8
1997	921	79.1	11.6	37.5
1998	854	76.5	11.2	37.6
1999	970	78.8	12.3	41.1
2000	1014	72.9	13.9	35.9
2001	1103	83.4	13.2	n/a
2002	1272	85.8	14.8	48.7
2003	1272	85.8	14.8	48.7
2004	1359	97.8	13.9	48.1
2005	1272	88.2	14.4	n/a
2006	992	87.2	11.4	63
2007	1305	82.4	15.8	56.1
2008	1313	93.8	14.0	57
2009	1306	104.7	13.6	60.5
2010	1369	98.8	13.8	69
2011	1368	91.8	14.9	71.5
2012	1414	93.8	15.0	71.1
2013	1358	97.4	13.9	75.2
2014	1286	100.8	12.7	76.2
2015	1304	92.0	14.1	70.6
2016	1301	97.0	13.4	70.7
2017	1252	91.6	13.6	68.1
2018	1273	96.0	13.2	69.9
2019	1244	106.0	11.7	74.8
2020	1169	94.8	12.3	83
2021	1216	86.0	14.1	79.2
2022	1326	84.7	15.6	76.6
2023	1297	90.2	14.3	79.1

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 John F. Kennedy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	774	61.0	12.6	n/a
1989	799	60.0	13.3	n/a
1990	808	62.0	13.0	n/a
1991	938	72.0	13.0	n/a
1992	1017	72.4	14.0	24.7
1993	1036	73.4	14.1	3.1
1994	1080	75.6	14.3	39.8
1995	923	80.1	11.5	42.8
1996	923	80.1	11.5	42.8
1997	921	79.1	11.6	37.5
1998	854	76.5	11.2	37.6
1999	970	78.8	12.3	41.1
2000	1014	72.9	13.9	35.9
2001	1103	83.4	13.2	n/a
2002	1272	85.8	14.8	48.7
2003	1272	85.8	14.8	48.7
2004	1359	97.8	13.9	48.1
2005	1272	88.2	14.4	n/a
2006	992	87.2	11.4	63
2007	1305	82.4	15.8	56.1
2008	1313	93.8	14.0	57
2009	1306	104.7	13.6	60.5
2010	1369	98.8	13.8	69
2011	1368	91.8	14.9	71.5
2012	1414	93.8	15.0	71.1
2013	1358	97.4	13.9	75.2
2014	1286	100.8	12.7	76.2
2015	1304	92.0	14.1	70.6
2016	1301	97.0	13.4	70.7
2017	1252	91.6	13.6	68.1
2018	1273	96.0	13.2	69.9
2019	1244	106.0	11.7	74.8
2020	1169	94.8	12.3	83
2021	1216	86.0	14.1	79.2
2022	1326	84.7	15.6	76.6
2023	1297	90.2	14.3	79.1

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 John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,244
2019	$15,732
2020	$15,906
2021	$16,657
2022	$16,054
2023	$18,727

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John F. Kennedy High 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 114^th of 121 High schools	Ranks 132^nd of 142 High schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (John F. Kennedy High School)	24.2	17.9	6.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	28.5	21.1	7.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	61.6	52.4	9.2%
11th Grade Math (John F. Kennedy High School)	9.7	6.7	3%
11th Grade Math (Waterbury School District)	9.7	8.7	1%
11th Grade Math (Connecticut)	40.6	34.1	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1244	1297	4.3%
African American	250	289	15.6%
American Indian	11	14	27.3%
Asian	21	19	9.5%
Hispanic	692	789	14%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	246	157	36.2%
Two or More Races	24	29	20.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.8%	79.1%	4.3%

Schools Near John F. Kennedy High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)		SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Math (2024)	SBAC English Language Arts (2024)			SBAC Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 8th Grade	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
John F. Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	422 Highland Ave.	Waterbury	06708	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8153	1,297	90	14.3	79.1%	157 (12.1%)	289 (22.3%)	789 (60.8%)	19 (1.5%)	14 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (2.2%)	7	137^th of 145 public high schools	5.5%		7.2	132^nd of 142 public high schools	7.0%	5		7.6	21.6	6.3							$18,727
Waterbury Arts Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-12	16 South Elm St.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 573-6300	821	50	16.4	68.8%	246 (30.0%)	160 (19.5%)	356 (43.4%)	12 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.4%)	32	91^st of 145 public high schools	37.2%		41.2	75^th of 142 public high schools	47.2%	16	41.4		50.9	13.9	60.2	56.8	58.4	38.9	36.9	26.8	$22,290
REGIONS staff secure Waterbury	Public	6-12	80 Prospect Street	Waterbury	06702	New Haven County	Judicial Centers	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(203) 757-9939																			(n/a)
Waterbury Career Academy	Public	9-12	175 Birch Street	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8000	766	51	14.9	80.2%	114 (14.9%)	196 (25.6%)	404 (52.7%)	20 (2.6%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	25.4	105^th of 145 public high schools	27.6%		20	107^th of 142 public high schools	24.6%	2		26.2	46.2	14.7							$21,257
W. F. Kaynor Technical High School	Public	9-12	43 Tompkins St.	Waterbury	06708	New Haven County	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 596-4302	791	63	12.5	51.2%	232 (29.3%)	112 (14.2%)	377 (47.7%)	15 (1.9%)	6 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	37 (4.7%)	33.4	87^th of 145 public high schools	40.0%		48	71^st of 142 public high schools	50.0%	16		47.7		8.9							$25,833
Naugatuck High School	Public	9-12	543 Rubber Ave.	Naugatuck	06770	New Haven County	Naugatuck School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 720-5400	1,288	91	14.0	52.5%	549 (42.6%)	163 (12.7%)	470 (36.5%)	37 (2.9%)	7 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (4.4%)	26.7	100^th of 145 public high schools	31.0%					(n/a)		34.3	41.0	15.5							$18,134
Watertown High School	Public	9-12	324 French St.	Watertown	06795	Litchfield County	Watertown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 945-4810	735	70	10.5	33.6%	592 (80.5%)	26 (3.5%)	79 (10.7%)	14 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.9%)	39.5	78^th of 145 public high schools	46.2%		51	68^th of 142 public high schools	52.1%	10		40.7	58.4	13.5							$23,277
Wilby High School	Public	9-12	568 Bucks Hill Rd.	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8100	1,157	79	14.6	85.1%	69 (6.0%)	294 (25.4%)	744 (64.3%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.6%)	6.3	138^th of 145 public high schools	4.8%		4.7	139^th of 142 public high schools	2.1%	1		10.2	14.3	6.2							$19,470
Crosby High School	Public	9-12	300 Pierpont Rd.	Waterbury	06705	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8061	1,400	89	15.8	84.3%	108 (7.7%)	318 (22.7%)	910 (65.0%)	17 (1.2%)	12 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (2.5%)	7.4	135^th of 145 public high schools	6.9%		6.5	135^th of 142 public high schools	4.9%			8.0	21.4	7.3							$16,938
Wolcott High School	Public	9-12	457 Bound Line Rd.	Wolcott	06716	New Haven County	Wolcott School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 879-8164	649	72	9.0	26.2%	485 (74.7%)	35 (5.4%)	91 (14.0%)	15 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.4%)								(n/a)		38.2									$20,687

John F. Kennedy High School

John F. Kennedy High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waterbury School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for all students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Special Education students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Female students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Male students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for African American students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for White students at John F. Kennedy High School

Enrollment information for John F. Kennedy High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John F. Kennedy High School

Student/Teacher Ratio John F. Kennedy High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for John F. Kennedy High School

Impact of COVID-19 on John F. Kennedy High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John F. Kennedy High School

Frequently Asked Questions about John F. Kennedy High School

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