John F. Kennedy High

As a well-populated 9-12 campus in La Palma, California, John F. Kennedy High hosts 1,983 students from grades 9 through 12, one of the schools within Anaheim Union High. That puts it 137% bigger than the typical public school in California, which averages around 838 students.

John F. Kennedy High is one of 21 schools operated by Anaheim Union High, a district that instructs 26,076 students overall.

Demographically, John F. Kennedy High records that the most-represented group is Hispanic (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder comes out to 31% Asian, 14% White, 5% multiracial, 4% Black. By comparison, Orange County as a whole is about 34% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, John F. Kennedy High logs 83 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 23.8:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 18.2:1 average. Roughly 69% of students at John F. Kennedy High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Orange County runs at roughly 55%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), John F. Kennedy High ranks in the top 10% of California public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 38.1%; John F. Kennedy High posts 58.8%, +20.6 points above that line.

Around the school, Orange County reports that the typical household earns roughly $116,289 per year, about 44% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Orange County's 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), John F. Kennedy High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Walker Junior High, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, John F. Kennedy High comes 5th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 64.3%.

John F. Kennedy High operates from a residential location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 20%: 2,471 students in 2018 compared to 1,983 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 40% to 45% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 28.4:1 in 2018 to 23.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the John F. Kennedy High community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.