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J F Kennedy Elementary School

Q: Is J F Kennedy Elementary School a good school?

J F Kennedy Elementary School ranks 493 rd of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

493^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 68% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

J F Kennedy Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Kettering, OH, serving 602 students as part of the Kettering City School District, and it is the largest elementary school in its immediate comparison group. In 2025–2026, it ranked 493 of 1,560 Ohio elementary schools — 68th percentile, 3 stars — its first 3-star year since 2020–2021 and its lowest percentile in the ten years of rank history provided. The Kettering City School District itself performs well above the state norm: ranked 179 of 773 Ohio districts (77th percentile, 4 stars).

JFK clears Ohio state averages in all seven reported tests, but trails its own district in six of seven. Fourth-grade math is its signature strength: 86.8% proficient, above the district's 84.7 and nearly 20 points above the state's 67.3, and it has been consistently strong. English language arts is the soft spot, and the gap widens by grade: third-grade ELA is 71.0 versus the district's 75.2, while fifth-grade ELA is 74.2 versus 82.9 and only 3.8 points above the state. Nearby comparisons are telling. Prass Elementary, 0.86 miles away, ranks at the 87th percentile and beats JFK in six of seven 2025–2026 tests, including fifth-grade ELA 91.8 versus 74.2. Orchard Park Elementary has nearly identical per-student spending but a much lower student-teacher ratio (12.7 versus 17.2) and stronger results, such as third-grade math 90.5 versus 67.7 and fourth-grade ELA 87.5 versus 73.3.

Two rising pressures stand out. Chronic absenteeism is 14.5% in 2025–2026, up from 12.8% the year before and 11.4% in 2021–2022; that is the highest rate among nearby schools (Prass Elementary 5.7%, Dr John Hole Elementary 6.1%, Oakview Elementary 8.0%, Indian Riffle Elementary 11.3%, Normandy Elementary 13.2%). Poverty is also climbing: free/reduced-price lunch reached 50.66%, up from 42.97% in 2022–2023, with only Beavertown Elementary higher nearby. Special education students rank at the 48th percentile with 2 stars for two straight years, below the school's overall standing, while the low-income subgroup slipped from the 83rd percentile to the 64th. Staffing has tightened, with a student-teacher ratio of 17.2, up from 16.8 and 16.9. Still, the 3-star rating reads more like a slip than a fall: JFK remains above roughly two-thirds of Ohio elementary schools and beats the state average in all seven tested subjects.

602

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,596

Per pupil spending ?

50.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5030 Polen Dr
Kettering, OH 45440-2442

(937) 499-1830

District: Kettering City School District

Students who attend J F Kennedy Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kettering Middle School
High:	Kettering Fairmont High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.8%

African American:

20.8%

Two or more races:

10.6%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare J F Kennedy Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (75% vs 64% meeting standards)

✓Above the Ohio median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Kettering City School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg79%

Ohio avg64%

493^rd of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Kettering City School District

179^th of 773Kettering City School District among Ohio 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	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	493 of 1560	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.4	443 of 1558	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.0	407 of 1577	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	469 of 1596	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	409 of 1588	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	69.8	572 of 1610	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.5	293 of 1676	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	78.1	358 of 1636	78.1%	★★★★☆
2017	74.5	452 of 1651	72.6%	★★★★☆
2016	76.1	423 of 1678	74.8%	★★★★☆
2015	80.2	274 of 1684	83.7%	★★★★☆
2014	79.1	256 of 1687	84.8%	★★★★☆
2013	76.2	366 of 1701	78.5%	★★★★☆
2012	75.4	399 of 1709	76.7%	★★★★☆
2011	72.7	487 of 1686	71.1%	★★★★☆
2010	69.6	577 of 1662	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.8	400 of 1610	75.2%	★★★★☆
2008	71.9	464 of 1582	70.7%	★★★★☆
2007	74.1	396 of 1609	75.4%	★★★★☆
2006	73.5	379 of 1504	74.8%	★★★★☆
2005	71.0	433 of 1501	71.2%	★★★★☆
2004	75.1	342 of 1471	76.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	87.1	48 of 631	92.4%	★★★★★
2025	86.6	40 of 615	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	47 of 603	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	92.6	22 of 610	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	92.7	25 of 601	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	83.7	52 of 605	91.4%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	59.6	242 of 824	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	34.2	506 of 765	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	82.2	101 of 956	89.4%	★★★★☆
2018	78.3	133 of 1021	87.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2023	78.7	34 of 239	85.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	453 of 1452	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	79.2	295 of 1452	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.6	392 of 1466	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	417 of 1483	71.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.9	281 of 1488	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	547 of 1467	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.2	219 of 1502	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	308 of 1518	79.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2021	69.7	35 of 219	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.4	234 of 759	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2018	79.0	33 of 239	86.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	532 of 1467	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	500 of 1473	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.4	256 of 1484	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	226 of 1447	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	170 of 1419	88.0%	★★★★☆
2021	60.6	557 of 1404	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.7	122 of 1465	91.7%	★★★★★
2018	79.4	200 of 1465	86.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	424 of 1467	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	515 of 1466	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.1	383 of 1485	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	466 of 1498	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.1	520 of 1518	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.1	575 of 1499	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.0	317 of 1535	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	364 of 1536	76.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	50 of 220	77.3%	★★★★☆
2025	82.2	27 of 218	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	45.4	75 of 139	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	474 of 914	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.3	474 of 935	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.0	392 of 900	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	392 of 856	54.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	473 of 1181	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.9	388 of 1175	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.9	402 of 1190	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.0	402 of 1215	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.4	345 of 1242	72.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.5	399 of 1249	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.4	156 of 1271	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	339 of 1309	74.1%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)92nd percentile+24 vs school

Hispanic (2018)86th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)86th percentile+15 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2021)84th percentile+20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)77th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)71st percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)71st percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)48th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics76%+13 vs state

Science76%+13 vs state

English Language Arts73%+8 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Saturday, October 15, 2011

The teachers use creative teaching methods and most special education students are included in all content classes. The school includes an Emotional Disturbances Unit for students who attend most classes with the general population, and a mental health professional works onsite at the school. Close Quote

Schools Near J F Kennedy Elementary School

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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)				Ohio State Tests Science (2026)	Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2026)			Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Ohio State Tests Science 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 5th Grade	Total
J F Kennedy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5030 Polen Dr	Kettering	45440	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 499-1830	602	35	17.2	50.7%	360 (59.8%)	125 (20.8%)	32 (5.3%)	15 (2.5%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	64 (10.6%)	72.1	493^rd of 1560 public elementary schools	68.4%		74.4	443^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	71.6%	50	75.8	67.7	86.8	73.8	71.0	73.3	74.2	$13,596
Prass Elementary School	Public	K-5	2601 Parklawn Dr	Kettering	45440	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(937) 499-1780	420	26	16.4	38.6%	326 (77.6%)	32 (7.6%)	22 (5.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.3%)	83.6	200^th of 1560 public elementary schools	87.2%		83	223^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	85.7%	23	79.5	79.2	90.1	89.0	75.3	81.7	91.8	$13,714
Driscoll Elementary School	Public	2-5	5767 Marshall Rd	Dayton	45429	Montgomery County	Centerville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 434-0562	269	17	15.5	34.2%	198 (73.6%)	22 (8.2%)	17 (6.3%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)	69.2	548^th of 1560 public elementary schools	64.9%		66.4	600^th of 1558 public elementary schools	61.5%	52	72.6	59.7	70.4	80.6	82.1	65.3	79.0	$13,477
Centerville Primary Village North	Public	PK, KG-1	6450 Marshall Rd	Centerville	45459	Montgomery County	Centerville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 438-6062	545	25	22.2	21.1%	386 (70.8%)	38 (7.0%)	27 (5.0%)	49 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.3%)								(n/a)								$15,332
Oakview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4001 Ackerman Blvd	Kettering	45429	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(937) 499-1870	477	29	16.3	45.9%	349 (73.2%)	42 (8.8%)	34 (7.1%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	40 (8.4%)	83	212^th of 1560 public elementary schools	86.4%		82.4	245^th of 1558 public elementary schools	84.3%	33	82.4	82.4	84.7	89.1	75.0	80.6	88.2	$12,118
Indian Riffle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3090 Glengarry Dr	Kettering	45420	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 499-1720	521	32	16.4	44.1%	405 (77.7%)	31 (6.0%)	30 (5.8%)	15 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (7.1%)	80.3	291^st of 1560 public elementary schools	81.3%		81.7	261^st of 1558 public elementary schools	83.2%	30	72.2	77.8	85.9	74.1	82.7	80.8	87.0	$12,807
Dr John Hole Elementary School	Public	2-5	180 W Whipp Rd	Dayton	45459	Montgomery County	Centerville City	No	(n/a)	No	No	(937) 434-0725	376	21	17.9	20.7%	297 (79.0%)	15 (4.0%)	16 (4.3%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.0%)	89.1	78^th of 1560 public elementary schools	95.0%		86	144^th of 1558 public elementary schools	90.8%	66	87.5	92.2	92.5	90.2	90.9	82.5	88.5	$14,904
Beavertown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Wilmington Pike	Kettering	45419	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 499-1740	380	21	18.5	55.0%	266 (70.0%)	40 (10.5%)	34 (8.9%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	29 (7.6%)	73.6	469^th of 1560 public elementary schools	69.9%		74.2	448^th of 1558 public elementary schools	71.2%	21	80.9	63.3	83.3	85.1	68.3	72.2	80.9	$12,934
Orchard Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	600 E Dorothy Ln	Kettering	45419	Montgomery County	Kettering City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(937) 499-1910	294	23	12.7	49.0%	227 (77.2%)	22 (7.5%)	15 (5.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.5%)	83.6	202^nd of 1560 public elementary schools	87.1%		82.9	225^th of 1558 public elementary schools	85.6%	23	75.6	90.5	91.1	72.7	85.7	87.5	82.2	$14,112
Stephen Bell Elementary School	Public	K-2	4133 Shadowleaf Dr	Bellbrook	45305	Greene County	Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(937) 848-7831	535	30	17.8	26.9%	428 (80.0%)	28 (5.2%)	29 (5.4%)	19 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.6%)								(n/a)								$12,812

Frequently Asked Questions about J F Kennedy Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of J F Kennedy Elementary School?

Students at J F Kennedy Elementary School are 60% White, 21% African American, 11% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What district is J F Kennedy Elementary School in?

Kettering City School District

Is J F Kennedy Elementary School a good school?

J F Kennedy Elementary School ranks 493^rd of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of J F Kennedy Elementary School attend?

Students who attend J F Kennedy Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kettering Middle School
High : Kettering Fairmont High School

How many students attend J F Kennedy Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 602 students attended J F Kennedy Elementary School.

Rate J F Kennedy Elementary School!

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Latest Ohio data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 15, 2026

2025–26 Ohio State Tests scoresSep 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

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