John F Kennedy High School

Summary:

John F Kennedy High School is a public high school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving 1,714 students in grades 9-12 and part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

The school consistently outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with 75.4% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 65.7% for the district and 73.8% for the state. In Mathematics, 71.4% of 10th-grade students are proficient or better, compared to 59.1% for the district and 66% for the state. John F Kennedy High School also has a more diverse student population, with 74.21% White, 8.87% African American, 6.18% Hispanic, and 2.74% Asian students, which is higher than nearby schools like Mount Vernon High School and Springville Secondary School, which have student populations over 90% White.

Despite the school's strong academic performance, its statewide ranking has been declining, from 68th out of 327 Iowa high schools in 2018-2019 to 176th out of 338 in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school may be facing challenges in maintaining its competitive edge compared to other high-performing schools in the state, such as Center Point-Urbana High School and Linn-Mar High School, which have even stronger academic performance and higher statewide rankings.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 4545 Wenig RD NE
       Cedar Rapids, IA  52405


(319) 558-2251

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
176th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,742 Help


Feeder schools for John F Kennedy High School:

Elementary:    Hiawatha Elementary School
    Madison Elementary School
    Maple Grove Elementary
    Nixon Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Harding Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.7 Help
Number of students:  1,714

Racial breakdown:

White:
74.2%
African American:
8.9%
Two or more races:
7.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  31.3% Help


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 Compare John F Kennedy High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details John F Kennedy High School ranks worse than 52.1% of high schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 4 ranked high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.3. (See more...)
Help
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.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details John F Kennedy High School has the largest high school student body size in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (74.2%), African American (8.9%), two or more races (7.5%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 31.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John F Kennedy High School is 17.7. 2 high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare John F Kennedy High School employs 96.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at John F Kennedy High School is $14,742, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

John F Kennedy High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks John F Kennedy High School 176th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See John F Kennedy High School in the ranking list.)

Cedar Rapids Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cedar Rapids Community School District 276th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for John F Kennedy High School?

Rank History for John F Kennedy High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 72.51 75th 351 78.6%
2013 75.19 55th 351 84.3%
2014 69.28 103rd 322 68.0%
2015 77.26 55th 324 83.0%
2016 69.55 98th 320 69.4%
2017 42.79 224th 325 31.1%
2018 54.40 171st 320 46.6%
2019 73.36 68th 327 79.2%
2021 59.32 135th 327 58.7%
2022 58.32 147th 332 55.7%
2023 53.63 170th 336 49.4%
2024 53.30 176th 338 47.9%
See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

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

John F Kennedy High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

0%

0%

100%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Open Quote This school is overcrowded, and students go to school fearful of what might happen at the school. There is constant fighting, drugs, and violence which take place here. The administration does a very good job of keeping this negative publicity from being released to the public, however the police are at the school on a daily basis because of some type of disruption. Close Quote



Enrollment information for John F Kennedy High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1643 25 12 4 1 n/a n/a 0 1685
1989 1536 25 13 4 0 n/a n/a 0 1578
1990 1448 35 16 4 0 n/a n/a 0 1503
1991 1388 37 22 7 2 n/a n/a 0 1456
1992 1458 39 25 17 3 n/a n/a 0 1542
1993 1488 31 24 17 8 n/a n/a 0 1568
1994 1500 26 26 19 7 n/a n/a 0 1578
1995 1486 37 23 24 9 n/a n/a 0 1579
1996 1486 37 23 24 9 n/a n/a 0 1579
1997 1532 33 38 18 7 n/a n/a 0 1628
1998 1546 31 42 26 4 n/a n/a 0 1649
1999 1490 31 43 20 5 n/a n/a 0 1589
2000 1515 32 46 15 6 n/a n/a 0 1614
2001 1480 35 38 20 5 n/a n/a 0 1578
2002 1567 54 38 16 2 n/a n/a 0 1677
2003 1567 54 38 16 2 n/a n/a 0 1677
2004 1609 75 40 22 2 n/a n/a 0 1748
2005 1656 85 34 21 4 n/a n/a 0 1800
2006 1710 96 46 23 2 n/a n/a 0 1877
2007 1632 121 41 25 5 n/a n/a 0 1824
2008 1591 126 46 40 10 n/a n/a 0 1813
2009 1545 141 56 40 6 n/a n/a 0 1788
2010 1549 130 50 30 5 1 2 0 1767
2011 1526 142 48 33 8 0 3 0 1760
2012 1501 143 54 38 11 4 16 0 1767
2013 1443 138 52 36 10 4 33 0 1716
2014 1442 128 60 44 8 5 43 0 1730
2015 1414 118 76 66 5 5 65 0 1749
2016 1391 132 74 78 1 6 79 0 1761
2017 1454 156 64 105 3 3 90 0 1875
2018 1405 142 66 95 3 2 82 0 1795
2019 1430 147 61 107 4 2 91 0 1842
2020 1377 144 62 96 2 0 109 0 1790
2021 1259 134 60 103 2 0 103 0 1661
2022 1308 145 55 105 3 0 122 3 1741
2023 1272 152 47 106 4 0 129 4 1714

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1685 93.5 18.0 5.5
1989 1578 94.3 16.7 4.3
1990 1503 90.2 16.6 3.1
1991 1456 91.6 15.8 4.9
1992 1542 91.0 16.9 6
1993 1568 86.4 18.1 6.6
1994 1578 81.2 19.4 7.9
1995 1579 82.2 19.2 6.6
1996 1579 82.2 19.2 6.6
1997 1628 83.9 19.4 6.6
1998 1649 88.6 18.6 6.9
1999 1589 88.5 18.0 9.4
2000 1614 89.3 18.1 8.9
2001 1578 93.1 16.9 8.7
2002 1677 92.7 18.1 13.2
2003 1677 92.7 18.1 13.2
2004 1748 97.0 18.0 15.2
2005 1800 98.2 18.3 15.2
2006 1877 100.4 18.7 15.4
2007 1824 102.5 17.8 20.4
2008 1813 104.0 17.4 17.8
2009 1788 102.3 17.5 20.1
2010 1767 102.8 17.1 20.9
2011 1760 103.2 17.0 21.3
2012 1767 104.7 16.8 24.9
2013 1716 104.3 16.4 12.2
2014 1730 98.7 17.5 24.4
2015 1749 102.0 17.1 28.2
2016 1761 99.0 17.7 29.3
2017 1875 96.0 19.5 31.6
2018 1795 92.9 19.3 32
2019 1842 95.8 19.2 28.2
2020 1790 94.8 18.8 32.6
2021 1661 91.4 18.1 33.4
2022 1741 96.5 18.0 32.9
2023 1714 96.4 17.7 31.3

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1685 93.5 18.0 5.5
1989 1578 94.3 16.7 4.3
1990 1503 90.2 16.6 3.1
1991 1456 91.6 15.8 4.9
1992 1542 91.0 16.9 6
1993 1568 86.4 18.1 6.6
1994 1578 81.2 19.4 7.9
1995 1579 82.2 19.2 6.6
1996 1579 82.2 19.2 6.6
1997 1628 83.9 19.4 6.6
1998 1649 88.6 18.6 6.9
1999 1589 88.5 18.0 9.4
2000 1614 89.3 18.1 8.9
2001 1578 93.1 16.9 8.7
2002 1677 92.7 18.1 13.2
2003 1677 92.7 18.1 13.2
2004 1748 97.0 18.0 15.2
2005 1800 98.2 18.3 15.2
2006 1877 100.4 18.7 15.4
2007 1824 102.5 17.8 20.4
2008 1813 104.0 17.4 17.8
2009 1788 102.3 17.5 20.1
2010 1767 102.8 17.1 20.9
2011 1760 103.2 17.0 21.3
2012 1767 104.7 16.8 24.9
2013 1716 104.3 16.4 12.2
2014 1730 98.7 17.5 24.4
2015 1749 102.0 17.1 28.2
2016 1761 99.0 17.7 29.3
2017 1875 96.0 19.5 31.6
2018 1795 92.9 19.3 32
2019 1842 95.8 19.2 28.2
2020 1790 94.8 18.8 32.6
2021 1661 91.4 18.1 33.4
2022 1741 96.5 18.0 32.9
2023 1714 96.4 17.7 31.3

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $564 (3.8%) $14,177 (96.2%) $14,742

Data source: Iowa 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 68th of 327 High schoolsRanks 170th of 336 High schools
 29.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (John F Kennedy High School)84.476.5
 7.9%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)75.565.2
 10.3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)74.372.9
 1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (John F Kennedy High School)70.768.2
 2.5%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)62.957.1
 5.8%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)67.167
 0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (John F Kennedy High School)80.371.1
 9.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)71.562
 9.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)71.468.7
 2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (John F Kennedy High School)79.566.2
 13.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)69.856
 13.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)66.967.3
 0.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students18421714
 6.9%
African American147152
 3.4%
American Indian44
Asian6147
 23%
Hispanic107106
 0.9%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White14301272
 11%
Two or More Races91129
 41.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients28.2%31.3%
 3.1%


Schools Near John F Kennedy High School









Frequently Asked Questions about John F Kennedy High School

John F Kennedy High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hiawatha Elementary School
Elementary : Madison Elementary School
Elementary : Maple Grove Elementary
Elementary : Nixon Elementary School
Elementary : Pierce Elementary School
Elementary : Viola Gibson Elementary School
Middle : Harding Middle School

Students at John F Kennedy High School are 74% White, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

John F Kennedy High School ranks 176th of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,714 students attended John F Kennedy High School.


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