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John F. Kennedy Middle

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

John F. Kennedy Middle ranks 297 th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

297^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 29% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

John F. Kennedy Middle in Suffolk, VA, is a grades 6–8 school with 498 students, part of Suffolk City Public Schools, and currently ranks in the 29th percentile of Virginia middle schools with a 1-star rating. The school’s most pressing challenge is chronic absenteeism: in 2024-2025, 24.8% of students were chronically absent, the highest rate among nearby schools and far above the state rate of 14.8%. This stands in stark contrast to schools like John Yeates Middle (9.3%) and Jolliff Middle (8.0%), even though JFK has a similar poverty rate to those schools. The school also has a very low 9.0:1 student-teacher ratio, yet its overall outcomes lag peers, suggesting attendance and instructional focus matter more than staffing alone.

Despite a low overall rank, JFK shows genuine strengths. In 2025-2026, 8th grade math proficiency hit 68.93%, well above the district (48.8%) and state (46.9%), and second only to Jolliff Middle among compared schools. Eighth grade reading also topped state and district averages at 76.43%. The school is notably effective for Hispanic students, who ranked in the 84th percentile statewide—a bright spot worth celebrating. In addition, the school has been improving: 6th grade math rose from 44% to nearly 56% over two years, and 8th grade reading and science have also climbed. JFK even outperforms King's Fork Middle, another Suffolk school, on several key tests.

However, clear weaknesses remain, especially in 7th grade. Civics proficiency was just 49.35% in 2025-2026, a 20-point gap from the state average, and 7th grade reading was 59.74%, also well behind. The school has also seen a sharp decline in results for disabled students, dropping from the 49th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 18th percentile by 2025-2026. The most promising path forward is to tackle chronic absenteeism head-on—reducing it by even 10 points could significantly boost test scores, particularly in 7th grade. With a low student-teacher ratio and proven success in 8th grade math and reading, JFK has the building blocks to improve, but it must focus on improving attendance and supporting struggling 7th graders.

498

Students ?

9.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,350

Per pupil spending ?

68.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2325 E Washington St
Suffolk, VA 23434

(757) 934-6212

District: Suffolk City Public Schools

Students who attend John F. Kennedy Middle usually attend:

High:

Lakeland High

Feeder schools for John F. Kennedy Middle:

Elementary:	Booker T. Washington Elementary
	Mack Benn Junior Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

69.9%

White:

15.1%

Hispanic:

9.4%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare John F. Kennedy Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 16th percentile in 2016 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (62% vs 69% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (25% vs 15% Virginia)

!Civics and Economics scores 21 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg67%

Virginia avg69%

297^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Middle Schools in the Suffolk City Public Schools

72^nd of 131Suffolk City Public Schools among Virginia 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	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	297 of 416	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.1	315 of 419	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	306 of 417	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.9	312 of 422	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.6	343 of 415	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.5	357 of 419	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	330 of 424	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	347 of 413	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.4	358 of 415	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.8	342 of 409	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	25.1	343 of 412	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	19.8	358 of 416	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.8	326 of 416	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	38.9	278 of 413	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	25.3	357 of 413	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	32.9	321 of 408	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.6	333 of 390	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.8	349 of 391	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.5	361 of 387	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	17.4	367 of 383	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	37.3	261 of 340	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	167 of 297	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.2	184 of 297	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	169 of 299	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	173 of 298	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	22.0	239 of 292	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.3	189 of 281	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.6	143 of 278	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	273 of 409	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.6	295 of 403	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.5	299 of 407	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.4	314 of 411	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	75.5	46 of 283	83.7%	★★★★☆
2025	56.7	115 of 279	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	115 of 272	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.6	125 of 275	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	255 of 401	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.2	287 of 403	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.2	264 of 402	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	308 of 410	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.4	314 of 404	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.3	290 of 407	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	298 of 409	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	42.8	137 of 231	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	186 of 400	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.4	199 of 400	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	230 of 396	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	260 of 402	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile+55 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile+25 vs school

African American (2026)44th percentile+15 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)41st percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)25th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2026)18th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I95%~ state avg

English Reading67%-6 vs state

Mathematics59%+4 vs state

Science56%-8 vs state

Civics and Economics49%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near John F. Kennedy Middle

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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)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)			SOL Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Civics and Economics (2026)			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 (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	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra II 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 6th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John F. Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	2325 E Washington St	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 934-6212	498	55	9.0	68.7%	75 (15.1%)	348 (69.9%)	47 (9.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (5.0%)	37.6	297^th of 416 public middle schools	28.6%		32.1	315^th of 419 public middle schools	24.8%	18	466.0		100.0	93.3		55.9	53.2	68.9	56.4		67.1	59.7	76.4		49.4		$9,350	$291	$9,059
King's Fork Middle	Public	6-8	350 Kings Fork Rd.	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 923-5246	986	72	13.6	68.8%	170 (17.2%)	670 (68.0%)	78 (7.9%)	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	52 (5.3%)	29.6	330^th of 416 public middle schools	20.7%		31	320^th of 419 public middle schools	23.6%	10	100.0		100.0	97.5		62.2	44.0	30.5	42.7	≥ 50%	64.5	72.7	61.5		59.8		$7,904	$196	$7,708
Forest Glen Middle	Public	6-8	200 Forest Glen Dr	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 925-5780	433	35	12.3	67.2%	207 (47.8%)	176 (40.6%)	22 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.5%)	44.1	268^th of 416 public middle schools	35.6%		41.5	268^th of 419 public middle schools	36.0%		100.0		100.0	93.6		66.3	37.5	51.8	57.1		73.8	70.9	70.7		63.9		$9,298	$197	$9,101
John Yeates Middle	Public	6-8	4901 Bennetts Pasture Rd	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 923-4105	509	51	9.9	69.5%	215 (42.2%)	183 (36.0%)	40 (7.9%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	55 (10.8%)	76.7	61^st of 416 public middle schools	85.3%		71	113^th of 419 public middle schools	73.0%	52	100.0	≥ 50%	100.0	100.0		80.3	50.0	58.2	77.3		78.3	90.6	85.6		88.1		$10,855	$592	$10,263
Jolliff Middle	Public	6-8	1021 Jolliff Rd.	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 465-5246	753	65	11.5	73.8%	322 (42.8%)	256 (34.0%)	88 (11.7%)	19 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (8.5%)	70	104^th of 416 public middle schools	75.0%		71.9	106^th of 419 public middle schools	74.7%	2	100.0		100.0	100.0		71.3	54.3	74.7	73.5	≥ 50%	77.8	79.0	79.7	79.4			$12,110	$781	$11,329
Western Branch Middle	Public	6-8	4201 Hawksley Dr	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 638-7920	855	68	12.5	73.3%	321 (37.5%)	319 (37.3%)	84 (9.8%)	36 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	90 (10.5%)	69.1	109^th of 416 public middle schools	73.8%		63.9	150^th of 419 public middle schools	64.2%	41	100.0		100.0	100.0		68.5	65.4	66.0	77.9		79.4	82.5	77.6	67.5			$10,343	$419	$9,925
William E. Waters Middle	Public	7-8	600 Roosevelt Blvd	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-2813	549	46	11.9	98.9%	113 (20.6%)	358 (65.2%)	39 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (6.2%)	13	385^th of 416 public middle schools	7.5%		20.6	367^th of 419 public middle schools	12.4%	18	80.8		100.0	91.1			29.5	28.1	41.4			54.2	53.7			56.6	$12,280	$2,357	$9,923
Deep Creek Middle	Public	6-8	1955 Deal Dr	Chesapeake	23323	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-5321	764	66	11.6	72.8%	272 (35.6%)	260 (34.0%)	150 (19.6%)	8 (1.0%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (8.9%)	54.9	206^th of 416 public middle schools	50.5%		51.1	216^th of 419 public middle schools	48.4%	10	100.0		95.7	93.1		55.9	65.4	47.0	69.8		77.8	76.9	76.1	61.9			$10,436	$374	$10,062
Hugo A. Owens Middle	Public	6-8	1997 Horseback Run	Chesapeake	23323	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-5382	1,286	99	13.0	25.2%	612 (47.6%)	318 (24.7%)	181 (14.1%)	43 (3.3%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	127 (9.9%)	77.3	59^th of 416 public middle schools	85.8%		74.5	91^st of 419 public middle schools	78.3%	32	100.0		100.0	99.1	≥ 50%	72.4	65.1	66.9	78.2	≥ 50%	82.5	81.5	86.0	81.2			$8,909	$443	$8,467
Georgie D. Tyler Middle	Public	6-8	23320 N. Court St.	Windsor	23487	Isle of Wight County	Isle of Wight County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 242-3229	368	32	11.4	68.8%	266 (72.3%)	54 (14.7%)	19 (5.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.1%)	71.2	102^nd of 416 public middle schools	75.5%		75.8	82^nd of 419 public middle schools	80.4%	20				100.0		81.1	85.3	60.0	68.3		82.4	77.5	76.0			75.0	$11,579	$402	$11,177

Frequently Asked Questions about John F. Kennedy Middle

What district is John F. Kennedy Middle in?

Suffolk City Public Schools

What high school do graduates of John F. Kennedy Middle attend?

Students who attend John F. Kennedy Middle usually go on to attend Lakeland High

Is John F. Kennedy Middle a good school?

John F. Kennedy Middle ranks 297^th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend John F. Kennedy Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 498 students attended John F. Kennedy Middle.

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

Students at John F. Kennedy Middle are 70% African American, 15% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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