JOHN F KENNEDY EL

JOHN F KENNEDY EL, an intimate elementary school in MERCEDES, Texas, one of the schools within MERCEDES ISD, teaches 399 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 519 students per school, that is 23% smaller than typical.

MERCEDES ISD comprises 11 schools with combined enrollment of 4,207 students; JOHN F KENNEDY EL is among them.

Looking at the student body, JOHN F KENNEDY EL logs that nearly all students (99%) are Hispanic.

Looking at the economic backdrop, JOHN F KENNEDY EL reports 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.1:1, putting JOHN F KENNEDY EL tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 95% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Hidalgo County runs at roughly 85%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, JOHN F KENNEDY EL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 32.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 22.1%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Hidalgo County) reports that median household earnings sit near $54,338, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 23%. Across Hidalgo County's 364 public schools (combined enrollment of about 212,859 students), JOHN F KENNEDY EL is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: TAYLOR EL, around 0.5 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around JOHN F KENNEDY EL. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), JOHN F KENNEDY EL ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 40.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at JOHN F KENNEDY EL has declined 45%, going from 726 students in 2018 to 399 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for JOHN F KENNEDY EL typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.