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Kennedy Middle School

Summary:

Kennedy Middle School is a public middle school located in Rockford, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 380 students. The school is part of the Rockford School District 205, which is ranked 737 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Kennedy Middle School has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in the state, with a ranking between 1217 and 1362 out of around 1,300 Illinois middle schools over the past several years.

The school faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 47% in 2019-2020 to a staggering 93.9% in 2020-2021. This is significantly higher than the district and state averages, indicating a major issue with student attendance. Academically, Kennedy Middle School's performance is alarmingly low across all subject areas and grade levels, with only 8.1% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 0% proficient or better in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. These percentages are far below the district and state averages, placing Kennedy Middle School among the lowest-performing schools in Illinois.

In contrast to the low-performing Kennedy Middle School, some nearby middle schools in other districts, such as Pecatonica Community Middle School, Stephen Mack Middle School, and Winnebago Middle School, demonstrate much higher academic achievement, with proficiency rates well above the state averages. This highlights the potential for improvement at Kennedy Middle School if the right strategies and resources are implemented, particularly in addressing the root causes of the school's high chronic absenteeism rates.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 520 N Pierpont Ave
       Rockford, IL  61101-5037

(815) 654-4880

District: Rockford School District 205

SchoolDigger Rank:
1351st of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $26,207 Help


Students who attend Kennedy Middle School usually attend:

High:    Auburn High School

Feeder schools for Kennedy Middle School:

Elementary:    Ellis Elementary School
    Lewis Lemon Elementary
    McIntosh Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  380

Racial breakdown:

African American:
63.7%
White:
14.5%
Hispanic:
13.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  87.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Kennedy Middle School ranks worse than 99.1% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Rockford School District 205. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.16. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Kennedy Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Rockford School District 205.  (See more...)
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kennedy Middle School is $26,207, which is the highest among 7 middle schools in the Rockford School District 205!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kennedy Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kennedy Middle School 1351st of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Kennedy Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Rockford School District 205:

SchoolDigger ranks Rockford School District 205 737th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Kennedy Middle School?

Rank History for Kennedy Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 15.12 998th 1185 15.8%
2004 16.20 994th 1204 17.4%
2005 11.26 1049th 1209 13.2%
2006 13.29 1109th 1272 12.8%
2007 14.97 1113th 1287 13.5%
2008 19.74 1080th 1293 16.5%
2009 12.75 1178th 1318 10.6%
2010 9.90 1220th 1327 8.1%
2011 5.20 1300th 1344 3.3%
2012 0.99 1361st 1365 0.3%
2013 1.87 1362nd 1367 0.4%
2014 1.98 1314th 1322 0.6%
2016 8.03 1277th 1294 1.3%
2017 8.94 1266th 1293 2.1%
2018 8.83 1269th 1293 1.9%
2019 9.36 1313th 1356 3.2%
2021 10.92 1217th 1241 1.9%
2022 10.05 1361st 1369 0.6%
2023 8.98 1357th 1367 0.7%
2024 9.16 1351st 1363 0.9%
See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.21 157th 164 4.3%
2019 8.64 171st 179 4.5%
2024 8.46 183rd 184 0.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.79 496th 602 17.6%
2019 27.69 649th 792 18.1%
2021 25.59 501st 548 8.6%
2022 26.86 654th 781 16.3%
2023 20.09 754th 805 6.3%
2024 19.41 747th 802 6.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.51 1146th 1161 1.3%
2019 12.11 1176th 1217 3.4%
2021 14.79 991st 1019 2.7%
2022 12.70 1211th 1221 0.8%
2023 10.90 1226th 1234 0.6%
2024 11.45 1206th 1219 1.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 26.06 32nd 36 11.1%
2022 21.30 34th 34 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.95 1198th 1226 2.3%
2019 9.65 1224th 1276 4.1%
2021 9.37 1003rd 1017 1.4%
2022 9.72 1274th 1286 0.9%
2023 8.55 1262nd 1275 1.0%
2024 10.26 1214th 1251 3.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.70 591st 674 12.3%
2024 25.63 546th 639 14.6%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.66 1198th 1223 2.0%
2019 10.28 1268th 1296 2.2%
2021 10.77 1035th 1048 1.2%
2022 11.73 1255th 1286 2.4%
2023 10.40 1271st 1292 1.6%
2024 8.75 1258th 1264 0.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.50 502nd 511 1.8%
2019 18.66 545th 565 3.5%
2021 23.44 360th 385 6.5%
2022 19.49 568th 573 0.9%
2023 17.75 557th 569 2.1%
2024 17.66 531st 548 3.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.89 554th 590 6.1%
2019 18.15 585th 639 8.5%
2021 20.71 459th 517 11.2%
2022 8.68 661st 662 0.2%
2023 8.63 661st 661 0.0%
2024 9.76 640th 643 0.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Kennedy Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 3.93 885th 889 0.4%
2019 5.31 898th 905 0.8%
2021 5.16 813th 813 0.0%
2022 4.87 894th 898 0.4%
2023 4.26 891st 895 0.4%
2024 4.70 866th 875 1.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle 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.

Kennedy Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

0%

0%

100%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Thursday, April 8, 2010

Open Quote I think the school is okay but if the school board would let us not to wear uniforms we would be better,we wouldnt get distracted by our clothes.The school board hasn't heard our side of the story and is making us tuck in our shorts we dont think its right to us as a school . Close Quote



Enrollment information for Kennedy Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 196 149 7 29 1 n/a n/a 0 382
2001 321 207 11 49 1 n/a n/a 0 589
2002 366 234 9 61 1 n/a n/a 0 671
2003 366 234 9 61 1 n/a n/a 0 671
2004 362 261 10 68 2 n/a n/a 0 703
2005 317 303 3 83 1 n/a n/a 2 709
2006 317 274 4 93 1 n/a n/a 8 697
2007 306 260 6 109 1 n/a n/a 19 701
2008 339 323 7 132 1 n/a n/a 34 836
2009 283 345 4 129 2 n/a n/a 39 802
2010 246 357 4 113 0 n/a n/a 35 755
2011 206 344 2 110 3 0 33 0 698
2012 139 414 2 114 6 0 42 0 717
2013 113 426 1 115 2 0 40 0 697
2014 74 426 0 118 1 0 36 0 655
2015 77 338 1 107 1 0 32 0 556
2016 76 323 1 105 2 0 40 0 547
2017 67 313 1 88 5 0 46 0 520
2018 70 318 1 62 2 0 49 0 502
2019 63 315 1 56 2 0 49 0 486
2020 76 316 1 52 1 0 41 0 487
2021 74 320 0 49 0 0 38 0 481
2022 68 289 1 71 1 0 33 0 463
2023 55 242 1 53 0 0 29 0 380

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 Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 382 21.3 17.9 n/a
2001 589 40.1 14.7 n/a
2002 671 40.0 16.8 67.5
2003 671 40.0 16.8 67.5
2004 703 41.8 16.8 70.6
2005 709 38.8 18.3 75
2006 697 39.0 17.9 76.3
2007 701 34.0 20.6 81.8
2008 836 41.0 20.4 86.5
2009 802 46.0 17.4 88.2
2010 755 49.0 15.4 93.9
2011 698 42.6 16.3 90.3
2012 717 41.7 17.1 93.7
2013 697 40.3 17.2 94.4
2014 655 46.5 14.0 96.6
2015 556 44.0 12.6 98.2
2016 547 40.0 13.6 78.6
2017 520 37.5 13.8 71.3
2018 502 33.2 15.1 78.7
2019 486 28.1 17.2 88.7
2020 487 30.0 16.2 86.7
2021 481 n/a n/a n/a
2022 463 34.1 13.5 71.5
2023 380 27.2 13.9 87.6

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 Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 382 21.3 17.9 n/a
2001 589 40.1 14.7 n/a
2002 671 40.0 16.8 67.5
2003 671 40.0 16.8 67.5
2004 703 41.8 16.8 70.6
2005 709 38.8 18.3 75
2006 697 39.0 17.9 76.3
2007 701 34.0 20.6 81.8
2008 836 41.0 20.4 86.5
2009 802 46.0 17.4 88.2
2010 755 49.0 15.4 93.9
2011 698 42.6 16.3 90.3
2012 717 41.7 17.1 93.7
2013 697 40.3 17.2 94.4
2014 655 46.5 14.0 96.6
2015 556 44.0 12.6 98.2
2016 547 40.0 13.6 78.6
2017 520 37.5 13.8 71.3
2018 502 33.2 15.1 78.7
2019 486 28.1 17.2 88.7
2020 487 30.0 16.2 86.7
2021 481 n/a n/a n/a
2022 463 34.1 13.5 71.5
2023 380 27.2 13.9 87.6

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.

Immunization Rates

Kennedy Middle School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
201599.6%99.6%99.6%99.6%100.0%98.6%100.0%
201699.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.3%99.5%33.3%
201799.6%99.8%99.8%99.8%99.5%99.6%98.9%65.5%
201898.9%98.2%98.2%98.2%98.2%98.2%98.9%98.2%
201998.8%98.8%98.8%98.8%98.8%98.6%98.8%95.7%
202199.4%99.4%99.4%99.4%99.4%99.6%99.8%82.9%
202298.7%98.9%98.9%98.9%98.9%98.9%98.5%97.8%
202398.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%
202498.4%98.4%98.4%98.4%98.4%98.4%98.4%91.6%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kennedy Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $4,425 (25.3%) $13,085 (74.7%) $17,510
2020 $3,252 (18.7%) $14,129 (81.3%) $17,381
2021 $1,371 (8.5%) $14,770 (91.5%) $16,141
2022 $1,371 (8.5%) $14,770 (91.5%) $16,141
2023 $2,851 (11.1%) $22,791 (88.9%) $25,642
2024 $3,054 (11.7%) $23,152 (88.3%) $26,207

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kennedy Middle 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 1313th of 1356 Middle schoolsRanks 1357th of 1367 Middle schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Kennedy Middle School)63.9
 2.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Rockford School District 205)16.215.1
 1.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)3534.2
 0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Kennedy Middle School)20
 2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Rockford School District 205)10.19.1
 1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)25.323.4
 1.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Kennedy Middle School)6.35.2
 1.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Rockford School District 205)22.817
 5.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)41.237.9
 3.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Kennedy Middle School)3.20
 3.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Rockford School District 205)12.310.5
 1.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.926.9
 3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Kennedy Middle School)4.62.5
 2.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Rockford School District 205)18.819.7
 0.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)39.640.5
 0.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Kennedy Middle School)0.60
 0.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Rockford School District 205)14.29.5
 4.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)32.625.7
 6.9%
8th Grade Science (Kennedy Middle School)17.96.3
 11.6%
   8th Grade Science (Rockford School District 205)35.426.7
 8.7%
   8th Grade Science (Illinois)5552
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students486380
 21.8%
African American315242
 23.2%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian11
Hispanic5653
 5.4%
Pacific Islander00
White6355
 12.7%
Two or More Races4929
 40.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.7%87.6%
 1.1%

Schools Near Kennedy Middle School








Frequently Asked Questions about Kennedy Middle School

Students who attend Kennedy Middle School usually go on to attend Auburn High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 380 students attended Kennedy Middle School.

Kennedy Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Illinois middle schools.

Students at Kennedy Middle School are 64% African American, 14% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board 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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