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What's the most underrated thing about John F. Kennedy High that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
740
High
DISTRICT 879 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED·NCES 063255005037
John F. Kennedy High
4300 Cutting Blvd., Richmond, CA 94804 · (510) 231-1433 · Contra Costa County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL740 STUDENTS
F
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 3% of California public high schools
- FTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- FBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- BThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public high schools
Student : Teacher
19.3:1
38 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.2:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
60%
443 students
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 166 | 22% |
| Grade 10 | 197 | 27% |
| Grade 11 | 174 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 203 | 27% |
Student demographics
40%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
15.7%
CA avg 49.1% . -6.3pp since 2014
Math
8.8%
CA avg 37.7% . +2.8pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 16 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 9 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 6 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 1.0% | 14.7% | 25.5% | 58.8% |
| Math | 3.9% | 4.9% | 6.9% | 84.3% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 15.7% | 8.8% |
| 2023-24 | 15.1% | 5.6% |
| 2022-23 | 21.1% | 4.4% |
| 2021-22 | 15.3% | 1.3% |
| 2018-19 | 14.3% | 2.2% |
| 2017-18 | 19.9% | 0.7% |
| 2016-17 | 14.2% | 3.0% |
| 2015-16 | 17.0% | 3.0% |
| 2014-15 | 22.0% | 6.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
11.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.5%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-33.2pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 11% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 44% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like John F. Kennedy High
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy High this school | 740 | 59.9% | 11.3% |
| Mission High San Francisco | 993 | 62.5% | 10.9% |
| Da Vinci Design El Segundo | 536 | 52.8% | N/A |
| Aspire Langston Hughes Academy Stockton | 772 | 70.2% | N/A |
| Academies of the Antelope Valley Quartz Hill | 677 | 54.1% | 29.7% |
| Ednovate - South LA College Prep Los Angeles | 394 | 66.8% | N/A |
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where John F. Kennedy High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Contra Costa County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 11.3% | #1,040 of 1,052 | #28 of 28 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 8.8% | #993 of 1,056 ▲ 29 | #26 of 28 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 15.7% | #1,043 of 1,056 ▲ 2 | #28 of 28 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +3.9pp | #403 of 1,044 | #7 of 28 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 740 | #867 of 2,093 | #28 of 54 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.3:1 | #440 of 1,352 | #9 of 41 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 40.5% | #833 of 1,351 | #34 of 41 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.9% | #1,043 of 1,575 | #26 of 45 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -16.0% | #267 of 802 | #7 of 27 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
740
-106 (-13%) vs 2020
-19% since 1990-91, when it was 908
Student : Teacher
19.3:1
was 21.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 740 | 38.4 | 19.3:1 | 60% (443) |
| 2023-24 | 825 | 41.8 | 19.7:1 | 74% (611) |
| 2022-23 | 823 | 41.9 | 19.6:1 | 65% (539) |
| 2020-21 | 846 | 39 | 21.7:1 | 81% (686) |
| 2017-18 | 881 | 37.8 | 23.3:1 | 96% (850) |
| 2015-16 | 858 | 40 | 21.4:1 | 81% (692) |
| 2010-11 | 676 | N/A | N/A | 100% (673) |
| 2000-01 | 1,109 | 52 | 21.3:1 | 45% (500) |
| 1990-91 | 908 | 55 | 16.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for John F. Kennedy High.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (881 to 740); teachers up 2% (37.8 to 38.4).
About John F. Kennedy High
In Richmond, California, part of Contra Costa County, John F. Kennedy High is a high school. School enrollment was 740 students in 2024-25, in grades 9 through 12.
John F. Kennedy High is among 52 schools run by West Contra Costa Unified, which serves 25,133 students.
Hispanic students account for 75% of enrollment at John F. Kennedy High. Other students are 15% Black and 5% Asian. That is higher than the 28% Hispanic share among all Contra Costa County residents. By the diversity index, John F. Kennedy High comes in at 40%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 19.3:1, with 38.4 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. For comparison, high schools in California average 18.2:1. The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is 60%. Compared with the 45% average for public schools in Contra Costa County, the school's rate is higher.
The allk12 Grade for John F. Kennedy High is F. Compared with California public high schools, the school scored higher than 3% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Test results at John F. Kennedy High are 33.2 points below what its student poverty level predicts. The average proficiency rate on state tests is 11.3%, compared with a predicted 44.5%, which ranks in the bottom 10% in California.
According to the American Community Survey, in Contra Costa County, median household income is about $127,229, 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 280 public schools operate in Contra Costa County, serving about 167,423 students.
The shortest distance from John F. Kennedy High to another public school is about 0.3 miles, to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. On state test proficiency, John F. Kennedy High ranks 2nd in a group of 6 nearby schools.
Its NCES locale code is Suburb: Large: the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
The student count in 2024-25 was 740, 13% below the 846 of 2020-21. The school's ratio fell from 21.7:1 to 19.3:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Parents and students can post about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs at John F. Kennedy High. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Contra Costa County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,165,012
Census ACS
Median income
$127,229
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
45%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
280
167,423 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in West Contra Costa Unified
- El Cerrito HighHigh · 1,460 students
- Richmond HighHigh · 1,280 students
- Pinole Valley HighHigh · 1,245 students
- De Anza HighHigh · 1,047 students
- Hercules HighHigh · 767 students
- Fred T. Korematsu MiddleMiddle · 708 students
Other schools in Richmond
- Richmond HighHigh · 1,280 students
- Making Waves AcademyHigh · 1,078 students
- De Anza HighHigh · 1,047 students
- Summit Public School: TamalpaisHigh · 629 students
- Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory AcademyHigh · 590 students
- Aspire Richmond Technology AcademyElementary · 586 students
Other John F. Kennedy High schools
10 other US public schools in 6 states are named John F. Kennedy High. John F. Kennedy High is the 9th largest of the 11.
- John F. Kennedy HighGranada Hills, CA · 2,152 students
- John F. Kennedy HighLa Palma, CA · 1,983 students
- John F. Kennedy HighSacramento, CA · 1,652 students
- John F. Kennedy HighFremont, CA · 1,273 students
- John F. Kennedy HighNorco, CA · 694 students
Nearby schools
- Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary0.3 mi · 375
- Stege Elementary0.7 mi · 225
- Lovonya DeJean Middle0.8 mi · 381
- Summit Public School K20.9 mi · 554
- Manzanita Middle0.9 mi · 92
- Voices College-Bound Language Acad at W. Contra Costa Co0.9 mi · 343
Frequently asked questions
About John F. Kennedy HighHow large is John F. Kennedy High?
John F. Kennedy High enrolls approximately 740 students in grades 09-12.
Is John F. Kennedy High an elementary, middle, or high school?
John F. Kennedy High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at John F. Kennedy High?
Approximately 19.3:1 students per teacher at John F. Kennedy High.
How diverse is John F. Kennedy High?
John F. Kennedy High reports a student body of 1% White, 75% Hispanic, 15% Black, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees John F. Kennedy High?
John F. Kennedy High is overseen by West Contra Costa Unified in Contra Costa County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.