Is Kennedy High School a good school?

Kennedy High School ranks 522 nd of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Kennedy High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,720 students attended Kennedy High School.

What is the racial makeup of Kennedy High School?

Students at Kennedy High School are 81% Hispanic, 14% White, 4% African American.

What schools feed into Kennedy High School?

Kennedy High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Byrne Elementary School Elementary : Dore Elementary School Elementary : Hale Elementary School Elementary : Hearst Elementary School Elementary : Kinzie Elementary School Elementary : Twain Elementary School

Kennedy High School

Summary:

Kennedy High School is a public high school located in Chicago, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,720 students. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kennedy High School consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with only 6.1% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and 12.3% proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 26.1% and 31.1%, respectively. The school also has a lower four-year graduation rate of 73.0%, compared to the state average of 78.6%, and a higher dropout rate of 5.5%, compared to the state average of 2.5%. Additionally, Kennedy High School has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 60.6%, compared to the district average of 45.8% and the state average of 21.1%.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Hancock College Preparatory High School, which is located within 3 miles of Kennedy High School, the differences in academic performance and other key metrics are stark. Hancock College Preparatory High School has significantly higher academic performance, with 53% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and 63.5% proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts, as well as a 97.1% four-year graduation rate. Kennedy High School's struggles are also evident across different student subgroups, with the school's African American and Hispanic students performing significantly worse than their white and Asian counterparts.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6325 W 56th St
Chicago, IL 60638-2539

(773) 535-2325

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
522^nd of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,485

Feeder schools for Kennedy High School:

Elementary:	Byrne Elementary School
	Dore Elementary School
	Hale Elementary School
	Hearst Elementary School
	More...
	Kinzie Elementary School
	Twain Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 1,720

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.2%

White:

13.8%

African American:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.9%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Kennedy High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kennedy High School ranks worse than 74.9% of high schools in Illinois. It also ranks 44^th among 145 ranked high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.29. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Kennedy High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Kennedy High School has the largest high school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kennedy High School is $17,485. 116 high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kennedy High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kennedy High School 522^nd of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Kennedy High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Kennedy High School

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Rank History for all students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	14.77	507^th	586	13.5%
2004	6.24	537^th	592	9.3%
2005	16.73	507^th	590	14.1%
2006	7.82	537^th	596	9.9%
2007	10.47	534^th	612	12.7%
2008	12.05	540^th	624	13.5%
2009	9.61	560^th	632	11.4%
2010	8.45	565^th	643	12.1%
2011	8.09	578^th	655	11.8%
2012	22.70	539^th	665	18.9%
2013	19.30	543^rd	670	19.0%
2014	26.13	520^th	670	22.4%
2016	22.16	522^nd	643	18.8%
2017	29.59	474^th	642	26.2%
2018	31.75	459^th	647	29.1%
2019	33.28	483^rd	701	31.1%
2021	30.85	464^th	688	32.6%
2022	25.71	524^th	699	25.0%
2023	26.01	524^th	699	25.0%
2024	22.29	522^nd	697	25.1%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	76.19	13^th	151	91.4%
2019	62.52	28^th	183	84.7%
2021	45.80	66^th	189	65.1%
2022	50.05	71^st	205	65.4%
2023	26.20	194^th	217	10.6%
2024	32.93	142^nd	248	42.7%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.97	246^th	374	34.2%
2019	32.48	296^th	473	37.4%
2021	32.77	256^th	453	43.5%
2022	38.06	241^st	493	51.1%
2023	30.90	288^th	476	39.5%
2024	41.33	218^th	482	54.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.28	301^st	585	48.5%
2019	44.05	345^th	639	46.0%
2021	46.01	282^nd	611	53.8%
2022	41.01	380^th	626	39.3%
2023	34.18	444^th	644	31.1%
2024	36.28	387^th	639	39.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.29	484^th	620	21.9%
2019	33.11	448^th	665	32.6%
2021	30.33	430^th	639	32.7%
2022	30.14	467^th	658	29.0%
2023	29.38	465^th	656	29.1%
2024	21.99	500^th	664	24.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.85	259^th	428	39.5%
2024	34.65	223^rd	429	48.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.67	401^st	619	35.2%
2019	32.15	467^th	675	30.8%
2021	29.65	446^th	653	31.7%
2022	21.29	531^st	664	20.0%
2023	22.86	528^th	668	21.0%
2024	23.20	497^th	668	25.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.70	102^nd	253	59.7%
2019	54.54	97^th	299	67.6%
2023	31.77	193^rd	301	35.9%
2024	22.06	274^th	299	8.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.06	194^th	291	33.3%
2019	35.33	191^st	317	39.7%
2021	30.21	218^th	317	31.2%
2022	28.09	246^th	335	26.6%
2023	30.28	234^th	333	29.7%
2024	24.64	262^nd	336	22.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.22	313^th	548	42.9%
2019	38.41	315^th	552	42.9%
2021	51.62	221^st	553	60.0%
2022	29.42	403^rd	560	28.0%
2023	22.78	465^th	557	16.5%
2024	38.02	307^th	554	44.6%

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

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

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Enrollment information for 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	506	438	7	312	1	n/a	n/a	0	1264
1989	446	420	5	374	1	n/a	n/a	0	1246
1990	373	401	9	429	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	1212
1991	298	378	15	592	2	n/a	n/a	0	1285
1992	319	358	7	612	4	n/a	n/a	0	1300
1993	274	395	17	717	4	n/a	n/a	0	1407
1994	375	364	27	650	2	n/a	n/a	0	1418
1995	485	351	36	590	0	n/a	n/a	0	1462
1996	485	351	36	590	0	n/a	n/a	0	1462
1997	529	284	31	634	1	n/a	n/a	0	1479
1998	518	242	28	638	13	n/a	n/a	0	1439
1999	583	237	22	650	7	n/a	n/a	0	1499
2000	646	183	26	712	3	n/a	n/a	0	1570
2001	673	204	34	668	6	n/a	n/a	0	1585
2002	626	216	22	714	4	n/a	n/a	0	1582
2003	626	216	22	714	4	n/a	n/a	0	1582
2004	618	233	25	646	3	n/a	n/a	0	1525
2005	625	220	17	722	5	n/a	n/a	0	1589
2006	596	228	19	778	7	n/a	n/a	54	1682
2007	550	187	10	752	8	n/a	n/a	31	1538
2008	551	187	9	815	7	n/a	n/a	68	1637
2009	636	206	14	911	5	n/a	n/a	0	1772
2010	555	163	17	933	3	n/a	n/a	0	1671
2011	450	113	15	1034	15	3	5	0	1635
2012	425	103	9	1026	13	2	6	0	1584
2013	395	70	10	971	10	0	6	0	1462
2014	378	64	8	1017	7	5	3	0	1482
2015	395	62	13	1054	7	5	6	0	1542
2016	401	60	11	1126	6	4	5	0	1613
2017	385	60	13	1166	16	3	6	0	1649
2018	351	65	10	1232	18	2	10	0	1688
2019	318	50	11	1183	14	2	10	0	1588
2020	292	33	13	1181	13	1	11	0	1544
2021	301	44	9	1181	9	3	10	0	1557
2022	259	50	7	1236	5	0	10	0	1567
2023	237	65	9	1396	3	1	9	0	1720

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 Kennedy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1264	69.4	18.2	n/a
1989	1246	72.4	17.2	n/a
1990	1212	68.2	17.7	n/a
1991	1285	67.2	19.1	n/a
1992	1300	65.2	19.9	n/a
1993	1407	72.0	19.5	n/a
1994	1418	71.8	19.7	n/a
1995	1462	71.6	20.4	n/a
1996	1462	71.6	20.4	n/a
1997	1479	74.6	19.8	n/a
1998	1439	71.4	20.2	n/a
1999	1499	72.0	20.8	n/a
2000	1570	76.0	20.7	n/a
2001	1585	93.2	17.0	n/a
2002	1582	98.0	16.1	72.5
2003	1582	98.0	16.1	72.5
2004	1525	100.9	15.1	56
2005	1589	106.3	14.9	75.1
2006	1682	133.3	12.6	52.7
2007	1538	90.0	17.1	78.9
2008	1637	96.0	17.1	60.7
2009	1772	102.0	17.4	69.6
2010	1671	105.0	15.9	79.8
2011	1635	99.0	16.5	77.5
2012	1584	95.0	16.6	79.9
2013	1462	109.7	13.3	80.1
2014	1482	106.0	13.9	84.8
2015	1542	97.0	15.8	86.1
2016	1613	98.0	16.4	79.4
2017	1649	100.1	16.4	72.7
2018	1688	96.3	17.5	75
2019	1588	100.0	15.8	66.2
2020	1544	105.0	14.7	69.5
2021	1557	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1567	97.5	16.0	65
2023	1720	104.5	16.4	64.9

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 Kennedy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1264	69.4	18.2	n/a
1989	1246	72.4	17.2	n/a
1990	1212	68.2	17.7	n/a
1991	1285	67.2	19.1	n/a
1992	1300	65.2	19.9	n/a
1993	1407	72.0	19.5	n/a
1994	1418	71.8	19.7	n/a
1995	1462	71.6	20.4	n/a
1996	1462	71.6	20.4	n/a
1997	1479	74.6	19.8	n/a
1998	1439	71.4	20.2	n/a
1999	1499	72.0	20.8	n/a
2000	1570	76.0	20.7	n/a
2001	1585	93.2	17.0	n/a
2002	1582	98.0	16.1	72.5
2003	1582	98.0	16.1	72.5
2004	1525	100.9	15.1	56
2005	1589	106.3	14.9	75.1
2006	1682	133.3	12.6	52.7
2007	1538	90.0	17.1	78.9
2008	1637	96.0	17.1	60.7
2009	1772	102.0	17.4	69.6
2010	1671	105.0	15.9	79.8
2011	1635	99.0	16.5	77.5
2012	1584	95.0	16.6	79.9
2013	1462	109.7	13.3	80.1
2014	1482	106.0	13.9	84.8
2015	1542	97.0	15.8	86.1
2016	1613	98.0	16.4	79.4
2017	1649	100.1	16.4	72.7
2018	1688	96.3	17.5	75
2019	1588	100.0	15.8	66.2
2020	1544	105.0	14.7	69.5
2021	1557	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1567	97.5	16.0	65
2023	1720	104.5	16.4	64.9

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.

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