John Kennedy Elementary School

Q: Is John Kennedy Elementary School a good school?

John Kennedy Elementary School ranks 145 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

John Kennedy Elementary School is a public elementary school in Dubuque, Iowa, serving 541 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Dubuque Community School District.

John Kennedy Elementary School consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency, with 69.2% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 57.6% for the district and 64.2% for the state. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 30% of Iowa elementary schools over the past decade and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the student population is predominantly White, the school has a more diverse student body compared to nearby schools.

The school's relatively low free and reduced lunch rate of 26.99% may be a contributing factor to its academic success. However, John Kennedy Elementary School is located near some lower-performing schools, highlighting potential educational disparities within the district. The school's consistent academic performance provides an opportunity to explore best practices that could be replicated in other schools to address these disparities.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2135 Woodland
Dubuque, IA 52002

(563) 552-3900

District: Dubuque Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
145^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,503

Students who attend John Kennedy Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School
High:	Hempstead High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 541

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.3%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare John Kennedy Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John Kennedy Elementary School ranks better than 74% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3^rd among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Dubuque Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.71. (See more...)

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 Kennedy Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Dubuque 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 Kennedy Elementary School is $13,503, which is the lowest among 12 elementary schools in the Dubuque Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

John Kennedy Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Dubuque Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Dubuque Community School District 247^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John Kennedy Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	76.12	90^th	626	85.6%
2013	72.56	125^th	624	80.0%
2014	71.36	144^th	603	76.1%
2015	74.38	135^th	616	78.1%
2016	73.59	134^th	599	77.6%
2017	68.95	192^nd	574	66.6%
2018	73.65	132^nd	567	76.7%
2019	70.30	171^st	603	71.6%
2021	70.45	152^nd	567	73.2%
2022	70.10	174^th	574	69.7%
2023	74.55	120^th	565	78.8%
2024	71.71	145^th	557	74.0%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for John Kennedy Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	603	1	7	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	614
1989	560	0	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	570
1990	569	1	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	578
1991	537	3	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
1992	489	4	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	506
1993	496	4	13	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1994	483	2	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	498
1995	553	3	10	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	567
1996	553	3	10	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	567
1997	510	2	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
1998	483	4	5	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	495
1999	484	6	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	497
2000	505	8	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	-33	488
2001	476	8	8	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	494
2002	546	11	9	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2003	546	11	9	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2004	587	6	10	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	608
2005	624	5	13	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	642
2006	589	4	16	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	612
2007	620	11	22	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	658
2008	462	2	11	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	478
2009	469	4	10	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
2010	476	2	8	6	1	5	10	0	508
2011	470	4	14	7	1	4	11	0	511
2012	487	5	19	11	0	3	13	0	538
2013	482	7	22	11	0	0	13	0	535
2014	503	10	16	16	0	0	13	0	558
2015	529	11	16	23	1	0	13	0	593
2016	534	15	12	27	1	0	14	0	603
2017	524	18	11	28	1	0	16	0	598
2018	523	18	13	23	0	0	20	0	597
2019	510	19	16	17	0	3	17	0	582
2020	508	16	17	20	0	2	16	0	579
2021	512	11	18	25	1	4	15	0	586
2022	490	13	16	22	1	7	25	0	574
2023	456	10	9	26	1	10	29	0	541

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 Kennedy Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	614	33.5	18.3	7.7
1989	570	3.2	178.1	7.4
1990	578	30.4	19.0	9.3
1991	548	30.2	18.1	7.7
1992	506	29.0	17.4	5.9
1993	515	28.9	17.8	7.8
1994	498	28.0	17.8	8.4
1995	567	30.4	18.7	7.1
1996	567	30.4	18.7	7.1
1997	523	31.3	16.7	8.8
1998	495	31.0	16.0	8.3
1999	497	32.9	15.1	15.1
2000	488	31.3	15.6	13.8
2001	494	29.9	16.5	8.7
2002	571	30.0	19.0	10.2
2003	571	30.0	19.0	10.2
2004	608	33.5	18.1	10.5
2005	642	43.6	14.7	12.1
2006	612	41.1	14.9	12.4
2007	658	48.0	13.7	13.1
2008	478	39.8	12.0	15.5
2009	491	35.5	13.8	19.8
2010	508	36.4	13.9	20.5
2011	511	33.7	15.1	20.7
2012	538	35.5	15.1	20.3
2013	535	35.5	15.0	19.3
2014	558	37.0	15.0	19.9
2015	593	42.0	14.1	19.1
2016	603	38.0	15.8	22.2
2017	598	42.3	14.1	20.2
2018	597	40.6	14.7	21.4
2019	582	39.8	14.6	27.7
2020	579	39.8	14.5	23.3
2021	586	39.8	14.7	27.5
2022	574	40.8	14.0	24
2023	541	40.7	13.2	27

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 Kennedy Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	614	33.5	18.3	7.7
1989	570	3.2	178.1	7.4
1990	578	30.4	19.0	9.3
1991	548	30.2	18.1	7.7
1992	506	29.0	17.4	5.9
1993	515	28.9	17.8	7.8
1994	498	28.0	17.8	8.4
1995	567	30.4	18.7	7.1
1996	567	30.4	18.7	7.1
1997	523	31.3	16.7	8.8
1998	495	31.0	16.0	8.3
1999	497	32.9	15.1	15.1
2000	488	31.3	15.6	13.8
2001	494	29.9	16.5	8.7
2002	571	30.0	19.0	10.2
2003	571	30.0	19.0	10.2
2004	608	33.5	18.1	10.5
2005	642	43.6	14.7	12.1
2006	612	41.1	14.9	12.4
2007	658	48.0	13.7	13.1
2008	478	39.8	12.0	15.5
2009	491	35.5	13.8	19.8
2010	508	36.4	13.9	20.5
2011	511	33.7	15.1	20.7
2012	538	35.5	15.1	20.3
2013	535	35.5	15.0	19.3
2014	558	37.0	15.0	19.9
2015	593	42.0	14.1	19.1
2016	603	38.0	15.8	22.2
2017	598	42.3	14.1	20.2
2018	597	40.6	14.7	21.4
2019	582	39.8	14.6	27.7
2020	579	39.8	14.5	23.3
2021	586	39.8	14.7	27.5
2022	574	40.8	14.0	24
2023	541	40.7	13.2	27

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 Kennedy Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$730 (5.4%)	$12,773 (94.6%)	$13,503

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John Kennedy Elementary 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 171^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 120^th of 565 Elementary schools	7.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (John Kennedy Elementary School)	70.2	77.8	7.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dubuque Community School District)	62.5	57.5	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (John Kennedy Elementary School)	81	85.6	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dubuque Community School District)	72.3	70.5	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (John Kennedy Elementary School)	85.4	79.3	6.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dubuque Community School District)	69.5	70.6	1.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (John Kennedy Elementary School)	83.5	85.1	1.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dubuque Community School District)	73.2	70.7	2.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (John Kennedy Elementary School)	69.1	77.4	8.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Dubuque Community School District)	65.6	62.8	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (John Kennedy Elementary School)	76.3	78.6	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Dubuque Community School District)	71.1	65.4	5.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	582	541	7%
African American	19	10	47.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	16	9	43.8%
Hispanic	17	26	52.9%
Pacific Islander	3	10	233.3%
White	510	456	10.6%
Two or More Races	17	29	70.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	27.7%	27%	0.7%

Schools Near John Kennedy Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John Kennedy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2135 Woodland	Dubuque	52002	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-3900	541	41	13.2	27.0%	456 (84.3%)	10 (1.8%)	26 (4.8%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.8%)	29 (5.4%)	71.7	145^th of 557 public elementary schools	74.0%		74.5	120^th of 565 public elementary schools	78.8%	25	69.2	84.4	76.1	75.8	88.9	80.4	71.7	$13,503	$730	$12,773
Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3259 St Anne Dr	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-3700	303	24	12.7	46.9%	200 (66.0%)	26 (8.6%)	25 (8.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.2%)	15 (5.0%)	35.9	411^th of 557 public elementary schools	26.2%		27.9	451^st of 565 public elementary schools	20.2%	40	46.5	69.0	67.5	53.5	62.1	70.0	67.5	$13,704	$406	$13,298
Eisenhower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3170 Spring Valley Rd	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-3500	566	37	15.3	34.1%	477 (84.3%)	27 (4.8%)	16 (2.8%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	37 (6.5%)	63.1	223^rd of 557 public elementary schools	60.0%		64.2	210^th of 565 public elementary schools	62.8%	13	70.7	72.4	71.9	84.8	82.7	76.0	59.4	$13,730	$1,137	$12,593
Irving Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2520 Pennsylvania Ave	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-3800	418	34	12.3	42.6%	328 (78.5%)	21 (5.0%)	33 (7.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	30 (7.2%)	56.2	289^th of 557 public elementary schools	48.1%		47.6	349^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.2%	60	69.1	68.4	67.9	83.6	69.7	73.2	71.4	$14,709	$1,030	$13,678
Carver Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2007 Radford Road	Dubuque	52002	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-4500	535	34	15.6	31.2%	453 (84.7%)	27 (5.0%)	16 (3.0%)	12 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (4.7%)	80.2	71^st of 557 public elementary schools	87.3%		74.1	123^rd of 565 public elementary schools	78.2%	52	80.7	88.0	76.7	89.8	84.3	80.8	72.6	$13,512	$211	$13,300
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 Nevada Street	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 552-4050	255	26	9.6	67.8%	101 (39.6%)	96 (37.6%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.3%)	34 (13.3%)	10.2	511^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.3%		10.6	523^rd of 565 public elementary schools	7.4%	12	45.2	55.6	44.4	52.4	48.1	50.0	44.4	$19,748	$2,216	$17,533
Bryant Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1280 Rush St	Dubuque	52003	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 552-3400	314	23	13.7	31.2%	258 (82.2%)	8 (2.5%)	23 (7.3%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	16 (5.1%)	82.7	53^rd of 557 public elementary schools	90.5%		82.9	58^th of 565 public elementary schools	89.7%	5	67.4	91.1	93.5	76.7	87.5	93.5	95.7	$13,688	$121	$13,567
Prescott Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1151 White St	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 552-4200	370	45	8.2	76.5%	121 (32.7%)	140 (37.8%)	17 (4.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (7.3%)	63 (17.0%)	0.8	556^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.2%		0.8	563^rd of 565 public elementary schools	0.4%	7	27.8	37.3	37.1	25.9	25.5	22.6	22.6	$17,357	$2,142	$15,215
Audubon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	605 Lincoln Ave	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 552-3300	281	32	8.8	77.2%	111 (39.5%)	90 (32.0%)	12 (4.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.8%)	45 (16.0%)	1.4	554^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.5%		3.5	550^th of 565 public elementary schools	2.7%	4	20.0	46.7	29.5	30.0	40.0	40.0	20.0	$20,533	$2,785	$17,748
Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1450 Rhomberg Ave	Dubuque	52001	Dubuque County	Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 552-4100	330	29	11.4	62.1%	235 (71.2%)	23 (7.0%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.2%)	43 (13.0%)	20.8	469^th of 557 public elementary schools	15.8%		14.4	508^th of 565 public elementary schools	10.1%	39	43.4	52.7	59.5	50.9	54.5	61.9	64.3	$16,047	$1,634	$14,413

Frequently Asked Questions about John Kennedy Elementary School

How many students attend John Kennedy Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 541 students attended John Kennedy Elementary School.

What district is John Kennedy Elementary School in?

Dubuque Community School District

What schools do graduates of John Kennedy Elementary School attend?

Students who attend John Kennedy Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School
High : Hempstead High School

Is John Kennedy Elementary School a good school?

John Kennedy Elementary School ranks 145^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of John Kennedy Elementary School?

Students at John Kennedy Elementary School are 84% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% Asian.

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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.