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J F Kennedy High

Q: Is J F Kennedy High a good school?

J F Kennedy High ranks 481 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Q: How many students attend J F Kennedy High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 332 students attended J F Kennedy High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of J F Kennedy High?

Students at J F Kennedy High are 50% Hispanic, 29% African American, 15% White, 5% Two or more races.

Public, Magnet, Virtual Grades 9-12

481^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 27% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

J F Kennedy High is a small, urban public high school in Winston Salem, NC, serving 332 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district. While the school serves a student body where 99.1% of students come from low-income households, the data tells a story of real momentum. J F Kennedy's overall state ranking has climbed from the 5th percentile in 2022-23 to the 27th percentile in 2025-26. This puts it ahead of neighboring high-poverty schools like Carver High and Parkland High, and even slightly above the much larger R J Reynolds High in the most recent state rankings.

The school's most impressive academic achievements are its graduation rate and support for high-need students. The graduation rate has jumped from 75.7% to 90% in just a few years, now outpacing the state average and far exceeding nearby Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy and Carver High. In math, J F Kennedy is holding its own against much stronger schools. Its Math I and Math III proficiency rates are at or near the state average, placing it ahead of big neighborhood schools like Parkland High and R J Reynolds High, and at a level comparable to selective magnets like Atkins Academic & Technical High. Most notably, the school ranks in the 94th percentile statewide for English Language Learners and the 81st percentile for special education students, earning 5 and 4 stars respectively for these groups.

There are still challenges. Proficiency in English II and Biology remains below state averages, and chronic absenteeism, though reduced by half since 2020, is still higher than the state rate. Because J F Kennedy has just 332 students, individual test scores can swing up and down from year to year. However, the consistent upward multi-year trends in attendance, graduation rates, and math achievement suggest these gains are the result of successful programs and targeted supports rather than a one-year statistical blip. Combined with smaller class sizes and higher per-pupil funding than many neighboring schools, the evidence indicates J F Kennedy is effectively building momentum even while serving a population that faces significant economic hurdles.

332

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,798

Per pupil spending ?

99.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

890 E 11th Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101

(336) 703-4143

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.3%

African American:

28.6%

White:

15.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare J F Kennedy High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 5th percentile in 2023 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 27th (2026) from a 5th-percentile low (2023)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (47% vs 60% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 24% North Carolina)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg50%

North Carolina avg60%

481^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 49% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 12High Schools in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

159^th of 246Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools among North Carolina districts

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

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	5.8	752 of 786	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	733 of 741	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	688 of 737	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	638 of 691	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.5	630 of 694	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	9.2	638 of 692	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	11.5	632 of 705	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	5.5	611 of 627	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.1	621 of 673	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.2	621 of 662	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	17.9	578 of 648	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	2.6	615 of 640	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.1	607 of 630	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.3	603 of 620	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.5	597 of 606	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.9	586 of 598	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	46.8	255 of 519	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	19.7	447 of 494	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	7.5	704 of 733	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.7	700 of 706	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	660 of 684	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.6	647 of 656	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	6.5	535 of 541	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.0	519 of 522	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	481 of 493	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	425 of 472	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	3.7	632 of 633	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	559 of 639	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.0	589 of 604	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	4.1	707 of 711	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	645 of 697	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	542 of 665	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	481 of 662	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	482 of 641	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	574 of 640	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	594 of 626	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	554 of 621	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	544 of 594	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	355 of 514	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.6	348 of 469	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.3	363 of 476	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.9	257 of 507	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.7	360 of 531	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	11.4	444 of 505	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	10.8	448 of 502	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	5.5	462 of 499	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.5	468 of 490	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.2	456 of 477	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.8	448 of 453	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.2	422 of 431	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.4	362 of 450	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.9	298 of 440	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.1	388 of 437	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	419 of 434	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.2	344 of 430	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	265 of 364	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.8	69 of 369	81.3%	★★★★☆
2018	43.5	171 of 359	52.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.9	17 of 289	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	46.0	117 of 273	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	116 of 262	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.6	186 of 226	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	107 of 156	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.2	77 of 124	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.0	92 of 173	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.1	95 of 147	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.4	496 of 629	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	477 of 610	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	527 of 602	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.7	564 of 588	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	536 of 594	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.3	444 of 475	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	389 of 475	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	415 of 449	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.3	289 of 474	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.8	235 of 462	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.2	421 of 454	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	439 of 449	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	413 of 436	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	341 of 370	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.7	218 of 354	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	193 of 340	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	371 of 620	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.5	435 of 606	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	561 of 613	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	575 of 597	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.8	473 of 544	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.0	315 of 432	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.2	230 of 446	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.2	232 of 424	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.3	419 of 624	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.1	459 of 601	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	579 of 607	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	573 of 602	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	532 of 585	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	430 of 481	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.6	303 of 488	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.0	204 of 463	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	70 of 372	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	42.7	182 of 352	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.6	247 of 349	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.4	489 of 542	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	489 of 553	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.7	511 of 537	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.4	411 of 534	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

African American (2019)51st percentile+44 vs school

Female (2022)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2022)1st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2021)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)<1st percentile~ school

High school

English Language Learner (2026)94th percentile+67 vs school

Special Education (2026)81st percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)21st percentile-6 vs school

African American (2026)20th percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)10th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III66%-3 vs state

Math I43%~ state avg

Biology40%-18 vs state

English II40%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near J F Kennedy High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J F Kennedy High	Public, Virtual, Magnet	9-12	890 E 11th Street	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	(336) 703-4143	332	24	14.1	99.1%	50 (15.1%)	95 (28.6%)	167 (50.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.4%)	29.7	481^st of 662 public high schools	27.3%		26.5	482^nd of 641 public high schools	24.8%	1	40.3	40.0	43.1	66.0								$14,798	$1,646	$13,152
Carter High School	Public	11-12	851 Highland Court	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4119	123	15	8.1	97.6%	44 (35.8%)	44 (35.8%)	28 (22.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.9%)								(n/a)												$31,027	$5,025	$26,002
Career Center	Public	9-12	910 Highland Court	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 727-8181	0	49	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	1215 North Cameron Avenue	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-6732	369	35	10.6	99.2%	5 (1.4%)	185 (50.1%)	168 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.7%)	5.7	625^th of 662 public high schools	5.6%		14.3	568^th of 641 public high schools	11.4%	57	16.2	38.2	538.2	21.9	18.2	11.0	15.5	21.8	33.3	26.3	25.5	$14,063	$2,100	$11,962
R J Reynolds High	Public, Magnet	9-12	301 N Hawthorne Road	Winston Salem	27104	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-4145	1,759	99	17.7	99.4%	565 (32.1%)	613 (34.8%)	432 (24.6%)	56 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	92 (5.2%)	28.2	492^nd of 662 public high schools	25.7%		32.2	432^nd of 641 public high schools	32.6%	60	44.5	58.4	27.6	52.4								$8,101	$446	$7,655
Atkins Academic & Technical High	Public, Magnet	9-12	3605 Old Greensboro Road	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(336) 703-6754	1,187	68	17.4	36.1%	525 (44.2%)	284 (23.9%)	244 (20.6%)	80 (6.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (4.3%)	74.8	162^nd of 662 public high schools	75.5%		85.6	105^th of 641 public high schools	83.6%	57	73.4	87.5	41.1	88.5								$9,035	$597	$8,438
Carver High	Public	9-12	3545 Carver School Road	Winston Salem	27105	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 727-2987	728	49	14.8	99.6%	23 (3.2%)	402 (55.2%)	280 (38.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.7%)	2.8	643^rd of 662 public high schools	2.9%		9	603^rd of 641 public high schools	5.9%	40	11.2	16.2	5.2	29.7								$15,235	$2,941	$12,294
Main Street Academy	Public	6-12	2700 S. Main Street	Winston Salem	27127	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4185	63	17	3.6	95.2%	3 (4.8%)	41 (65.1%)	13 (20.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.5%)								(n/a)		6.7	537.2			534.5	< 5%		543.2	543.7	335.2	$36,283	$2,804	$33,478
Middle College of Forsyth County	Public	11-12	2100 Silas Creek Parkway	Winston Salem	27103	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 734-7437	121	5	25.9	47.1%	35 (28.9%)	32 (26.4%)	41 (33.9%)	5 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.6%)								(n/a)				54.2								$11,250	$199	$11,051
Early College of Forsyth County	Public	9-12	2100 Silas Creek Prky	Winston Salem	27103	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 757-3290	306	14	21.3	34.0%	90 (29.4%)	64 (20.9%)	108 (35.3%)	21 (6.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.9%)	90.3	73^rd of 662 public high schools	89.0%		89.5	80^th of 641 public high schools	87.5%	7	98.5	97.4	66.7	88.9								$6,298	$197	$6,101

Frequently Asked Questions about J F Kennedy High

What district is J F Kennedy High in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Is J F Kennedy High a good school?

J F Kennedy High ranks 481^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of J F Kennedy High?

Students at J F Kennedy High are 50% Hispanic, 29% African American, 15% White, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend J F Kennedy High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 332 students attended J F Kennedy High.

Rate J F Kennedy High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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.