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John F. Kennedy High

Q: Is John F. Kennedy High a good school?

John F. Kennedy High ranks 1212 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1212^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 44% of California high schools

Summary

John F. Kennedy High is a large public high school serving about 1,650 students in grades 9-12 within the Sacramento City Unified district, which has seen a notable decline in its statewide academic ranking over the past several years, now placing in the 44th percentile.

The school presents a mixed picture for parents: it excels at graduating students, with a 91% graduation rate that beats both district and state averages, but struggles with academic proficiency and chronic absenteeism, which at 28.3% is well above the state average. Notably, the school's performance varies greatly for different student groups, with some subgroups ranking very low statewide. An interesting comparison is with the nearby School of Engineering & Sciences, located less than a mile away, which performs dramatically higher (77th percentile) despite serving a similarly economically disadvantaged student population.

Compared to other local schools, Kennedy High sits in the middle of the pack within its district, performing better than Luther Burbank High but below C. K. McClatchy High. A striking cross-district comparison is with River City High in the Washington Unified district, which achieves a higher ranking while spending significantly less per student, raising questions about resource efficiency. The key takeaway is that while Kennedy High successfully supports students to graduation, significant challenges remain in attendance and consistent academic achievement across all groups.

1,652

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,041

Per pupil spending ?

59.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6715 Gloria Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95831-2008

(916) 395-5090

District: Sacramento City Unified

Feeder schools for John F. Kennedy High:

Elementary:	Caroline Wenzel Elementary
	Genevieve Didion
	John Bidwell Elementary
	John Cabrillo Elementary
	More...
	John D. Sloat Elementary
	Martin Luther King Junior
	Matsuyama Elementary
	Pony Express Elementary
Middle:	Sam Brannan Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.3%

Asian:

24.5%

African American:

18.8%

See top rated California high schools

Compare John F. Kennedy High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 67th percentile in 2013 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (25% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

District avg34%

California avg41%

1,212^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From top 41% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 13High Schools in the Sacramento City Unified

982^nd of 1,543Sacramento City Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.0	1212 of 2162	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.0	956 of 2159	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	948 of 2170	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.2	868 of 2123	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.4	666 of 2133	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.3	676 of 2017	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.7	529 of 2021	73.8%	★★★★☆
2016	62.1	736 of 2039	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.9	818 of 1994	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.8	801 of 2426	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.2	736 of 2354	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.8	673 of 2367	71.6%	★★★★☆
2010	60.9	495 of 2281	78.3%	★★★★☆
2009	61.4	428 of 2238	80.9%	★★★★☆
2008	55.8	552 of 2117	73.9%	★★★★☆
2007	52.0	615 of 2063	70.2%	★★★★☆
2006	43.5	767 of 1968	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	43.4	727 of 1901	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	43.3	628 of 1653	62.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	385 of 523	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.3	348 of 517	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	361 of 521	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.2	294 of 522	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	318 of 592	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.9	391 of 582	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	507 of 585	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	478 of 573	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	490 of 591	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	463 of 581	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	458 of 582	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.5	398 of 581	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	47.9	442 of 1161	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.8	627 of 1117	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.3	676 of 1052	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.9	240 of 1085	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	45.5	429 of 1064	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.3	415 of 1044	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.0	127 of 941	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	54.4	266 of 938	71.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	1166 of 1906	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.8	865 of 1915	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.4	1055 of 1915	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.4	879 of 1858	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.6	684 of 1833	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.4	777 of 1760	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	1375 of 1900	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.0	1201 of 1902	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.6	1167 of 1917	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	1072 of 1861	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	848 of 1814	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	829 of 1742	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.9	331 of 410	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.4	1367 of 2013	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	1180 of 2026	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.0	1103 of 2030	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.9	899 of 1943	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.3	616 of 1937	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.2	719 of 1862	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.6	1160 of 1942	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.2	938 of 1948	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	764 of 1963	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.0	763 of 1916	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	641 of 1880	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.1	528 of 1834	71.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	7.5	543 of 577	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	435 of 574	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.1	333 of 541	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.8	405 of 515	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.2	231 of 422	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.9	235 of 366	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	34.3	12 of 19	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	1040 of 1252	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	928 of 1216	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	805 of 1197	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	653 of 1155	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.5	377 of 1173	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.6	713 of 1193	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.0	527 of 1204	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.1	497 of 1222	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	521 of 1173	55.6%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)78th percentile+22 vs school

Disabled (2022)62nd percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)40th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)39th percentile-5 vs school

Pacific Islander (2023)37th percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)32nd percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)28th percentile-16 vs school

African American (2025)26th percentile-18 vs school

Homeless (2025)19th percentile-25 vs school

Special Education (2025)17th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2025)13th percentile-31 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)6th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-13 vs state

Science23%-10 vs state

Mathematics18%-20 vs state

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Schools Near John F. Kennedy High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John F. Kennedy High	Public	9-12	6715 Gloria Dr.	Sacramento	95831	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5090	1,652	80	20.5	59.4%	152 (9.2%)	310 (18.8%)	617 (37.3%)	405 (24.5%)	8 (0.5%)	29 (1.8%)	131 (7.9%)	42	1212^th of 2162 public high schools	43.9%		52	956^th of 2159 public high schools	55.7%	256			23.0	23.0			35.3	35.3			17.7	17.7	$21,041	$3,317	$17,724
School of Engineering & Sciences	Public	7-12	7345 Gloria Dr.	Sacramento	95831	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5040	542	20	26.7	61.4%	58 (10.7%)	43 (7.9%)	285 (52.6%)	97 (17.9%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (1.8%)	46 (8.5%)	74.2	506^th of 2162 public high schools	76.6%		73.9	509^th of 2159 public high schools	76.4%	3	30.8		38.1	33.2	44.0	48.5	60.3	49.2	35.5	25.4	31.0	30.2	$21,430	$3,392	$18,038
Sacramento New Technology Early College High	Public, Charter	9-12	1400 Dickson St.	Sacramento	95822	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5254	155	9	17.4	88.4%	11 (7.1%)	20 (12.9%)	114 (73.5%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (4.5%)	33.6	1410^th of 2162 public high schools	34.8%		41.9	1192^nd of 2159 public high schools	44.8%	218			25.8	25.8			23.5	23.5			8.8	8.8	$23,963	$3,574	$20,389
River City High	Public	9-12	1 Raider Ln.	West Sacramento	95691	Yolo County	Washington Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 375-7800	2,168	99	21.9	67.7%	584 (26.9%)	111 (5.1%)	961 (44.3%)	315 (14.5%)	6 (0.3%)	50 (2.3%)	137 (6.3%)	61.1	794^th of 2162 public high schools	63.3%		63.3	687^th of 2159 public high schools	68.2%	107		34.0		34.0			59.7	59.7			24.7	24.7
Luther Burbank High	Public	9-12	3500 Florin Rd.	Sacramento	95823	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5110	1,535	82	18.6	74.1%	43 (2.8%)	255 (16.6%)	693 (45.1%)	416 (27.1%)	3 (0.2%)	57 (3.7%)	68 (4.4%)	25.4	1585^th of 2162 public high schools	26.7%		35.5	1352^nd of 2159 public high schools	37.4%	233			11.9	11.9			26.9	26.9			8.6	8.6	$22,841	$3,786	$19,055
C. K. McClatchy High	Public	9-12	3066 Freeport Blvd.	Sacramento	95818	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5050	2,569	103	24.9	50.3%	638 (24.8%)	216 (8.4%)	1,095 (42.6%)	318 (12.4%)	13 (0.5%)	38 (1.5%)	249 (9.7%)	56.2	902^nd of 2162 public high schools	58.3%		45.9	1103^rd of 2159 public high schools	48.9%	201			24.9	24.9			45.8	45.8			28.2	28.2	$20,114	$3,447	$16,667
Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High	Public	9-12	451 McClatchy Way	Sacramento	95818	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5010	156	12	13.4	62.8%	15 (9.6%)	28 (17.9%)	87 (55.8%)	11 (7.1%)	2 (1.3%)	7 (4.5%)	6 (3.8%)	47.2	1094^th of 2162 public high schools	49.4%		44.8	1130^th of 2159 public high schools	47.7%	36			10.0	10.0			60.9	60.9			18.2	18.2	$30,364	$3,833	$26,531
The MET	Public, Charter	9-12	810 V St.	Sacramento	95818	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5417	190	11	17.1	43.7%	62 (32.6%)	18 (9.5%)	86 (45.3%)	4 (2.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.5%)	47.5	1083^rd of 2162 public high schools	49.9%		41.5	1204^th of 2159 public high schools	44.2%	121			31.4	31.4			48.0	48.0			10.0	10.0	$25,519	$3,578	$21,941
American Legion High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	3801 Broadway	Sacramento	95817	Sacramento County	Sacramento City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 395-5000	163	16	10.3	77.9%	10 (6.1%)	32 (19.6%)	98 (60.1%)	7 (4.3%)	3 (1.8%)	6 (3.7%)	7 (4.3%)	13.5	1857^th of 2162 public high schools	14.1%		20.4	1696^th of 2159 public high schools	21.4%	161			10.0	10.0			5.4	5.4			0.0	0.0	$35,885	$4,026	$31,859
Sacramento Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	2315 34th St.	Sacramento	95817	Sacramento County	Sacramento Charter High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 277-6200	413	18	23.3	75.5%	11 (2.7%)	239 (57.9%)	111 (26.9%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	43 (10.4%)	30.6	1476^th of 2162 public high schools	31.7%		33.6	1404^th of 2159 public high schools	35.0%	72		13.1		13.7			50.5	50.5			3.9	3.9	$24,710	$6,369	$18,341

Frequently Asked Questions about John F. Kennedy High

How many students attend John F. Kennedy High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,652 students attended John F. Kennedy High.

Is John F. Kennedy High a good school?

John F. Kennedy High ranks 1212^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of John F. Kennedy High?

Students at John F. Kennedy High are 37% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 19% African American, 9% White, 8% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools feed into John F. Kennedy High?

John F. Kennedy High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Caroline Wenzel Elementary
Elementary : Genevieve Didion
Elementary : John Bidwell Elementary
Elementary : John Cabrillo Elementary
Elementary : John D. Sloat Elementary
Elementary : Martin Luther King Junior
Elementary : Matsuyama Elementary
Elementary : Pony Express Elementary
Middle : Sam Brannan Middle

What district is John F. Kennedy High in?

Sacramento City Unified

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department 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.