Is John F. Kennedy High School a good school?

John F. Kennedy High School ranks in the bottom 0.9% of New Jersey high schools.

How many students attend John F. Kennedy High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,794 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 69% Hispanic, 15% African American, 9% Asian, 6% White.

John F. Kennedy High School

Summary:

John F. Kennedy High School is a public high school located in Paterson, New Jersey, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,053 students. The school is part of the Paterson Public School District, which is ranked 572 out of 613 school districts in New Jersey and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John F. Kennedy High School has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in New Jersey, ranking between 401-426 out of around 415-426 high schools in the state over the past 10 years. The school has maintained a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating very poor overall performance compared to other high schools in the state. The school's performance is particularly low for specific student subgroups, such as Asian, African American, and Hispanic students, as well as English Language Learner (ELL) and Special Education students, all of whom rank in the bottom 10-20% to 25-30% of high schools in the state. Low-income students, as measured by free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, rank in the bottom 30-35% of high schools.

Proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are extremely low, with only 9.9% and 1% of students, respectively, scoring proficient or better on the NJSLA assessments in 2023-2024. The school also struggles with low proficiency rates in Science, with only 2.3% of 11th-grade students scoring proficient or better. While the school's 4-year graduation rate of 91.1% in 2022-2023 is slightly higher than the district average, it is still below the state average. Additionally, the school has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 16.6% to 58.6% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Nearby schools within the Paterson Public School District, such as Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts, International High School, and Eastside High School, also perform poorly, while some schools outside the district, such as Wayne Valley High School and Diana C. Lobosco STEM Academy, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public 9-12

61-127 Preakness Avenue
Paterson, NJ 07502

(973) 321-0500

District: Paterson Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
422^nd of 426 New Jersey High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,588

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 1,794

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.2%

African American:

15.1%

Asian:

9.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare John F. Kennedy High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John F. Kennedy High School ranks worse than 99.1% of high schools in New Jersey. It also ranks last among 5 ranked high schools in the Paterson Public School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.8. (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.

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

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 Paterson Public School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (69.2%), African American (15.1%), Asian (9.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy High School is 12.5, which is the 3^rd best among 5 high schools in the Paterson Public School District. (See more...)

Compare John F. Kennedy High School employs 143 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John F. Kennedy High School is $11,588. 5 high schools in the Paterson Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John F. Kennedy High School:

SchoolDigger ranks John F. Kennedy High School 422^nd of 426 New Jersey public high schools. (See John F. 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:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Paterson Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Paterson Public School District 572^nd of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John F. Kennedy High School

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Rank History for all students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2014	0.29	402^nd	411	2.2%
2015	15.07	388^th	406	4.4%
2016	11.19	401^st	409	2.0%
2017	10.33	403^rd	411	1.9%
2018	9.70	408^th	415	1.7%
2019	7.75	409^th	416	1.7%
2021	4.72	404^th	405	0.2%
2022	9.64	406^th	415	2.2%
2023	9.62	411^th	422	2.6%
2024	7.80	422^nd	426	0.9%

See the entire list of New Jersey High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	23.22	133^rd	146	8.9%
2019	22.46	131^st	138	5.1%
2022	25.82	118^th	137	13.9%
2023	27.40	129^th	161	19.9%
2024	21.88	163^rd	179	8.9%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	20.03	335^th	355	5.6%
2019	17.91	324^th	349	7.2%
2021	18.83	295^th	333	11.4%
2022	24.99	283^rd	344	17.7%
2023	17.47	325^th	339	4.1%
2024	17.15	326^th	349	6.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	11.09	339^th	345	1.7%
2019	9.92	337^th	347	2.9%
2021	9.59	322^nd	326	1.2%
2022	15.21	305^th	324	5.9%
2023	16.17	322^nd	344	6.4%
2024	11.37	345^th	350	1.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	5.08	402^nd	403	0.2%
2019	4.80	400^th	408	2.0%
2021	7.48	394^th	402	2.0%
2022	7.56	409^th	414	1.2%
2023	7.75	408^th	416	1.9%
2024	7.24	408^th	416	1.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	7.88	401^st	405	1.0%
2019	6.14	401^st	407	1.5%
2021	6.03	401^st	402	0.2%
2022	7.80	395^th	410	3.7%
2023	9.72	388^th	414	6.3%
2024	7.04	406^th	415	2.2%

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

Rank History for Asian students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2022	0.54	175^th	175	0.0%
2023	0.66	164^th	172	4.7%
2024	0.55	174^th	174	0.0%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	10.94	265^th	266	0.4%
2019	12.49	252^nd	254	0.8%
2021	13.42	246^th	247	0.4%
2022	17.01	248^th	256	3.1%
2023	17.17	239^th	250	4.4%
2024	12.83	258^th	260	0.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	9.88	359^th	368	2.4%
2019	8.78	354^th	364	2.7%
2021	7.22	373^rd	374	0.3%
2022	13.67	368^th	382	3.7%
2023	13.20	364^th	385	5.5%
2024	10.66	381^st	394	3.3%

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

Rank History for White students at John F. Kennedy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.90	328^th	335	2.1%

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

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department 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: New Jersey Department of Education

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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
2012	24	105	10	344	0	2	0	0	485
2013	24	110	16	320	0	0	0	0	470
2014	22	113	19	329	0	1	0	0	484
2015	30	111	22	361	1	1	3	0	529
2016	25	104	22	375	0	1	5	0	532
2017	34	98	24	383	0	1	0	0	540
2018	32	100	13	421	0	0	0	0	566
2019	32	98	8	441	0	0	0	0	579
2020	25	100	9	450	0	0	0	0	584
2021	23	102	11	447	0	0	0	0	583
2022	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2202	2202
2023	137	352	170	1392	0	0	2	0	2053
2024	114	270	163	1242	0	0	5	0	1794

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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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	485	47.9	10.1	72.4
2013	470	n/a	n/a	77.7
2014	484	62.0	7.8	87.2
2015	529	61.0	8.6	1.3
2016	532	47.0	11.3	62.8
2017	540	54.0	10.0	65.7
2018	566	53.0	10.6	72.8
2019	579	54.0	10.7	58.7
2020	584	50.0	11.6	65.2
2021	583	48.5	12.0	54.2
2022	2202	168.0	13.1	56.2
2023	2053	141.0	14.5	51.6
2024	1794	143.0	12.5	48

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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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	485	47.9	10.1	72.4
2013	470	n/a	n/a	77.7
2014	484	62.0	7.8	87.2
2015	529	61.0	8.6	1.3
2016	532	47.0	11.3	62.8
2017	540	54.0	10.0	65.7
2018	566	53.0	10.6	72.8
2019	579	54.0	10.7	58.7
2020	584	50.0	11.6	65.2
2021	583	48.5	12.0	54.2
2022	2202	168.0	13.1	56.2
2023	2053	141.0	14.5	51.6
2024	1794	143.0	12.5	48

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	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,588

Data source: New Jersey 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 409^th of 416 High schools	Ranks 411^th of 422 High schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (John F. Kennedy High School)	6.3	14.6	8.3%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Paterson Public School District)	12.6	14	1.4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	55.9	52.1	3.8%
9th Grade Algebra I (John F. Kennedy High School)	0.8	1.4	0.6%
9th Grade Algebra I (Paterson Public School District)	3	1.5	1.5%
9th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)	27.2	19.2	8%
End of Course Algebra I (John F. Kennedy High School)	0.8	1.4	0.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Paterson Public School District)	15.4	8.9	6.5%
End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)	43.3	35.1	8.2%
End of Course Geometry (John F. Kennedy High School)	0.7	10	9.3%
End of Course Geometry (Paterson Public School District)	2.9	20.6	17.7%
End of Course Geometry (New Jersey)	32.2	51.2	19%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	579	2053	254.6%
African American	98	352	259.2%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	8	170	2025%
Hispanic	441	1392	215.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	32	137	328.1%
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	58.7%	51.6%	7.1%

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)				NJSLA-S Science (2024)	NJSLA English Language Arts (2024)	NJSLA Algebra I (2024)			NJSLA Geometry (2024)		NJSLA Algebra II (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	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	NJSLA Algebra II 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John F. Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	61-127 Preakness Avenue	Paterson	07502	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-0500	1,794	143	12.5	48.0%	114 (6.4%)	270 (15.1%)	1,242 (69.2%)	163 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.3%)	7.8	422^nd of 426 public high schools	0.9%		9.6	411^th of 422 public high schools	2.6%	11	2.3	9.9	1.0		1.0	10.0	10.0			$11,588		$11,588
International High School	Public	9-12	200 Grand Street	Paterson	07501	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-2280	662	50	13.2	81.3%	29 (4.4%)	110 (16.6%)	491 (74.2%)	31 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21.2	332^nd of 426 public high schools	22.1%		12.8	382^nd of 422 public high schools	9.5%	50	3.5	53.2	13.1		13.1	6.8	6.8			$10,505		$10,505
Newcomers High School	Public	9-12	151 Ellison Street	Paterson	07501	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(973) 321-0760	82	5	16.4	70.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.4	425^th of 426 public high schools	0.2%		7.7	419^th of 422 public high schools	0.7%	6		0.0	0.0		0.0
Paterson P-Technical High School	Public	9-12	201 Memorial Drive	Paterson	07505	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-2292	200	14	14.2	40.0%	6 (3.0%)	54 (27.0%)	134 (67.0%)	6 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16.4	363^rd of 426 public high schools	14.8%		15	365^th of 422 public high schools	13.5%	2	4.2	44.0	6.1		6.1					$14,806		$14,806
Alternative High School	Public	9-12	350 Market Street	Paterson	07501	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-0110	118	23	5.1	61.9%	0 (0.0%)	64 (54.2%)	54 (45.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$15,582		$15,582
PCTI STEM Academy	Public	9-12	45 Reinhardt Road	Wayne	07470	Passaic County	Passaic County Technical-Vocational School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 790-6000	885	81	10.9	34.0%	242 (27.3%)	63 (7.1%)	381 (43.1%)	174 (19.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	22 (2.5%)	93.6	5^th of 426 public high schools	98.8%		93.3	11^th of 422 public high schools	97.4%	6	73.3	95.5	81.3		81.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Passaic County Technical Institute	Public	9-12	45 Reinhardt Road	Wayne	07470	Passaic County	Passaic County Technical-Vocational School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 790-6000	3,660	302	12.1	49.5%	703 (19.2%)	341 (9.3%)	2,194 (59.9%)	347 (9.5%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	69 (1.9%)	65	104^th of 426 public high schools	75.6%		67.6	87^th of 422 public high schools	79.4%	17	32.7	69.3	48.4	0.0	47.7					$17,412	$1,035	$16,377
Eastside High School	Public	9-12	150 Park Avenue	Paterson	07501	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-2354	2,087	131	15.9	45.3%	18 (0.9%)	323 (15.5%)	1,742 (83.5%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	6.2	426^th of 426 public high schools	0.0%		7.8	417^th of 422 public high schools	1.2%	9		5.1	0.4		0.4		0.0
Passaic County-Manchester Regional High School	Public	9-12	70 Church Street	Haledon	07508	Passaic County	Passaic County Manchester Regional High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 389-2821	819	60	13.6	70.5%	87 (10.6%)	121 (14.8%)	575 (70.2%)	23 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	16	369^th of 426 public high schools	13.4%		15	364^th of 422 public high schools	13.7%	5	10.4	35.6	7.2		7.1					$13,765	$898	$12,867
Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts	Public	9-12	413 12th Avenue	Paterson	07514	Passaic County	Paterson Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 321-0520	257	27	9.5	62.6%	4 (1.6%)	99 (38.5%)	153 (59.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.6	407^th of 426 public high schools	4.5%		9.7	409^th of 422 public high schools	3.1%	2	0.0	24.0	4.3		4.3					$17,357		$17,357

John F. Kennedy High School

John F. Kennedy High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Paterson Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for all students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Special Education students at John F. Kennedy High School

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

Rank History for Female students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Male students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Asian students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for African American students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at John F. Kennedy High School

Rank History for White students at John F. Kennedy High School

Enrollment information for John F. Kennedy High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John F. Kennedy High School

Student/Teacher Ratio John F. Kennedy High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for John F. Kennedy High School

Impact of COVID-19 on John F. Kennedy High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John F. Kennedy High School

Frequently Asked Questions about John F. Kennedy High School

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