John F Kennedy High School

Q: Is John F Kennedy High School a good school?

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

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:
176^th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,742

Feeder schools for John F Kennedy High School:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 1,714

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.2%

African American:

8.9%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.3%

See top rated Iowa high schools

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Performance Trends

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...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.3. (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 Cedar Rapids Community 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 $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 176^th 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 276^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for John F Kennedy High School

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

See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Thursday, April 30, 2009

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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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

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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 68^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 170^th 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)	84.4	76.5	7.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	75.5	65.2	10.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	74.3	72.9	1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (John F Kennedy High School)	70.7	68.2	2.5%
10th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	62.9	57.1	5.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	67.1	67	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (John F Kennedy High School)	80.3	71.1	9.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	71.5	62	9.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	71.4	68.7	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (John F Kennedy High School)	79.5	66.2	13.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	69.8	56	13.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	66.9	67.3	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1842	1714	6.9%
African American	147	152	3.4%
American Indian	4	4
Asian	61	47	23%
Hispanic	107	106	0.9%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	1430	1272	11%
Two or More Races	91	129	41.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.2%	31.3%	3.1%

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)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)					ISASP Mathematics (2024)					ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John F Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	4545 Wenig RD NE	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2251	1,714	96	17.7	31.3%	1,272 (74.2%)	152 (8.9%)	106 (6.2%)	47 (2.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	129 (7.5%)	53.3	176^th of 338 public high schools	47.9%		53.6	170^th of 336 public high schools	49.4%	6			77.8	75.4	71.0			63.3	71.4	70.9		62.5	$14,742	$564	$14,177
George Washington High School	Public	9-12	2205 Forest DR SE	Cedar Rapids	52403	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2161	1,291	78	16.5	49.1%	727 (56.3%)	267 (20.7%)	112 (8.7%)	23 (1.8%)	3 (0.2%)	6 (0.5%)	135 (10.5%)	24.2	283^rd of 338 public high schools	16.3%		23.8	283^rd of 336 public high schools	15.8%				72.2	66.7	56.9			53.4	58.4	50.0		48.6	$16,333	$764	$15,569
Metro High School	Public	9-12	1212 7th ST SE	Cedar Rapids	52401	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-3100	340	23	14.6	71.2%	139 (40.9%)	105 (30.9%)	30 (8.8%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.1%)	54 (15.9%)	0.1	337^th of 338 public high schools	0.3%		0	335^th of 336 public high schools	0.3%	2			42.1	13.8	21.6			10.0	17.2	14.6		10.3	$17,640	$336	$17,305
Thomas Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	1243 20th ST SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2435	1,543	86	17.9	56.4%	813 (52.7%)	391 (25.3%)	172 (11.1%)	26 (1.7%)	2 (0.1%)	9 (0.6%)	129 (8.4%)	8.8	315^th of 338 public high schools	6.8%		7.8	317^th of 336 public high schools	5.7%	2			58.1	58.1	42.7			44.3	49.3	39.2		41.8	$15,251	$1,064	$14,187
Marion High School	Public	9-12	675 S 15th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Marion Independent School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 377-9891	722	43	16.7	28.0%	609 (84.3%)	35 (4.8%)	31 (4.3%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.7%)	42	233^rd of 338 public high schools	31.1%		60.7	130^th of 336 public high schools	61.3%	103			67.1	72.8	73.6			59.1	68.2	68.9		52.2	$13,802	$140	$13,663
Linn-Mar High School	Public	9-12	3111 N 10th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3040	2,271	130	17.4	23.2%	1,744 (76.8%)	144 (6.3%)	131 (5.8%)	122 (5.4%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	123 (5.4%)	66.5	109^th of 338 public high schools	67.8%		58.1	152^nd of 336 public high schools	54.8%	43			85.3	76.4	77.7			76.3	69.2	76.7		68.9	$13,871	$299	$13,571
Prairie High School	Public	10-12	401 76th Ave SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	College Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 848-5340	1,298	73	17.8	31.0%	966 (74.4%)	126 (9.7%)	83 (6.4%)	21 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	92 (7.1%)	22.6	288^th of 338 public high schools	14.8%		35.9	248^th of 336 public high schools	26.2%	40				65.0	63.2				53.2	56.3		46.8	$14,453	$304	$14,149
Alburnett Senior High School	Public	9-12	131 Roosevelt Street	Alburnett	52202	Linn County	Alburnett Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 842-2263	243	21	11.7	19.8%	234 (96.3%)	5 (2.1%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	78	41^st of 338 public high schools	87.9%		43.3	221^st of 336 public high schools	34.2%	180			84.4	87.9	84.1			74.0	77.3	79.7		80.3	$15,024	$123	$14,901
Springville Secondary School	Public	7-12	400 Academy St	Springville	52336	Linn County	Springville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 854-6196	185	18	10.3	22.7%	171 (92.4%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.2%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.8%)	73.3	70^th of 338 public high schools	79.3%		71.6	76^th of 336 public high schools	77.4%	6	80.0	90.3	93.9	93.5	80.6	73.3	67.7	69.7	64.5	77.4	73.3	74.2	$16,663	$277	$16,386
Center Point-Urbana High School	Public	9-12	145 Iowa Street	Center Point	52213	Linn County	Center Point-Urbana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 849-1102	463	30	15.6	10.6%	435 (94.0%)	2 (0.4%)	13 (2.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	80.3	31^st of 338 public high schools	90.8%		75.4	53^rd of 336 public high schools	84.2%	22			92.9	88.0	78.5			85.7	78.2	81.3		72.0	$12,937	$145	$12,792

Frequently Asked Questions about John F Kennedy High School

How many students attend John F Kennedy High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,714 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 74% White, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into 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

What district is John F Kennedy High School in?

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Is John F Kennedy High School a good school?

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