Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Kennedy Elementary

Public Grades K-5

869^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Kennedy Elementary is a K–5 school in Madison, WI, serving 582 students in the Madison Metropolitan School District, making it larger than most nearby MMSD elementaries and second only to Winnequah School among close comparators. Its 2025–26 statewide rank is 869th of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools (16th percentile, 1 star), while the district ranks 321st of 432 districts. Kennedy’s recent history shows a long-term decline from 39th percentile in 2017–18, though it ticked up slightly from 12th percentile in 2024–25 to 16th percentile in 2025–26.

Academically, Kennedy trails both MMSD and Wisconsin in every 2025–26 subject and grade reported. For example, 4th grade ELA proficiency is 42.86% at Kennedy, below Marquette Elementary (75.41%), Winnequah School (72.92%), Lowell Elementary (72.22%), and Elvehjem Elementary (63.04%). Fifth grade math is especially low at 20.00%, and 3rd and 5th grade ELA are 21.92% and 21.43%. Chronic absenteeism improved to 26.9% in 2024–25, better than MMSD’s 29.6% but above Wisconsin’s 17.3% and higher than stronger nearby schools such as Marquette Elementary (20.1%) and Winnequah School (15.2%).

Kennedy has a high-need population: 61.51% of students received free/reduced lunch in 2024–25, second-highest among nearby schools behind Hawthorne Elementary (66.67%). Per-student spending rose to $23,491, higher than many neighbors, and the student–teacher ratio improved to 10.9. Yet effectiveness rankings for low-income students remain very low (5th percentile, 0 stars), and English Language Learner effectiveness is also weak (11th percentile, 1 star). Grade-level results are uneven: 4th grade is relatively stronger in ELA, social studies, and science, while 5th grade math and 3rd/5th grade ELA are clear challenges. Overall, Kennedy shows small signs of improvement in attendance and rank, but remains in the lowest quartile statewide.

582

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,491

Per pupil spending ?

61.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

71%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

221 Meadowlark Dr
Madison, WI 53714-2699

(608) 204-3420

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Students who attend Kennedy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Whitehorse Middle
High:	LaFollette High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

40.9%

White:

29.9%

Two or more races:

11.3%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Kennedy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (33% vs 55% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 17% Wisconsin)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg49%

Wisconsin avg55%

869^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 29Elementary Schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District

321^st of 432Madison Metropolitan School District among Wisconsin 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	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	19.4	869 of 1039	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	920 of 1044	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	927 of 1061	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	871 of 1067	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	825 of 1067	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.0	821 of 1050	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.3	715 of 1037	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.0	630 of 1025	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.1	847 of 1071	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.2	832 of 1075	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	29.6	868 of 1076	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	47.5	653 of 1061	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.5	786 of 1053	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	48.5	713 of 1045	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.9	584 of 1046	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.3	583 of 1045	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	59.4	490 of 1030	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.4	409 of 1021	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.9	278 of 689	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.8	352 of 712	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	59.5	325 of 632	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	56.5	352 of 633	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	94 of 150	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.8	110 of 144	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	98 of 137	28.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	96 of 138	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	87 of 133	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.2	52 of 141	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	58 of 161	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.0	52 of 165	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	77 of 116	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.4	85 of 122	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	24.4	217 of 245	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.3	250 of 255	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	239 of 269	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	211 of 249	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.7	133 of 248	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.8	108 of 275	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.4	65 of 287	77.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	821 of 986	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	860 of 1001	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	898 of 1011	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.0	838 of 1010	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.0	793 of 1017	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	778 of 1004	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.6	716 of 1002	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.6	587 of 997	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	14.0	330 of 347	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	52.6	128 of 322	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.9	197 of 290	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.5	213 of 296	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	274 of 274	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	56.5	94 of 266	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.9	125 of 271	53.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	804 of 848	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.6	851 of 870	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.7	857 of 866	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	831 of 871	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	807 of 859	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.1	820 of 847	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	772 of 874	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	691 of 854	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	19.9	831 of 989	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.6	893 of 1000	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	856 of 1012	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	770 of 1011	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	734 of 1017	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.3	785 of 1003	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.1	618 of 1002	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.8	604 of 997	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	9.2	111 of 113	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	55.8	27 of 76	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.8	48 of 67	28.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	634 of 791	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	684 of 802	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	693 of 790	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	500 of 770	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.3	311 of 748	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.5	446 of 746	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	390 of 742	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.4	335 of 721	53.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	395 of 697	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	526 of 718	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.6	553 of 727	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.8	453 of 715	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	60.0	268 of 704	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.9	484 of 699	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.8	412 of 718	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.7	253 of 686	63.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)43rd percentile+27 vs school

African American (2026)37th percentile+21 vs school

Asian (2025)34th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2026)20th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)17th percentile~ school

Male (2026)16th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)11th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile-11 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)2nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies48%-18 vs state

Science43%-11 vs state

English Language Arts29%-25 vs state

Mathematics28%-25 vs state

1.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★2

Rate Kennedy Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 17, 2016

The school is doing it's best to handle the large population at this school. Kennedy School is currently the third largest elementary school in Madison trailing only Cesar Chavez and Leopold. Even so it is one of the least community supported schools in Madison. Parent and volunteer involvement is minimal. The PTA/PTO is all of 6 people this year. From the test scores listed here it is a struggling school. The building is outdated and not handicap accessible at this time. Parking and student pick-up and drop-off is congested. Next year's new addition will help but will also add an additional 4 classrooms that could easily make it larger still. Also, at this time Kennedy does not have a 4K program due to lack of space. Future parents will need to look into area churches or daycare pre-kindergarten programs or bus their children to Frank Allis school (preferred by district). Alternative schools in the area are Elvehjem Elementary, Frank Allis Elementary, St. Dennis Catholic School, Holy Cross Lutheran School and Abundant Life Christian School. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 4, 2014

This school needs major help. KENNEDY SCHOOL IS CURRENTLY FAILING OUR CHILDREN!!!! Look at what has happened to Kennedy School over the past four years. Reading proficiency scores have dropped from 86% to a totally unacceptable 27% and Math proficiency scores have dropped from 79% to a dismal 50%. WHAT IS GOING ON? I am having trouble wrapping my head around these numbers, they seem to support gross negligence at every level. The State of Wisconsin should look at how other states have handled situations like this and fire everyone so Kennedy can be completely restructured. How can an over achieving school end up a pile of garbage in just four years?

The time for change is NOW!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 18, 2013

Kennedy use to be a great school. Due to changes in administration, the school has gone down hill a great deal. The curriculum changes every year. The staff changes every year due to personality conflicts with administration. Student behavior is out of control. The school is unwelcoming to parents. I am so sad at what has happened to one of the best schools in Madison. Close Quote

Schools Near Kennedy Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kennedy Elementary	Public	K-5	221 Meadowlark Dr	Madison	53714	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-3420	582	53	10.9	61.5%	174 (29.9%)	238 (40.9%)	62 (10.7%)	41 (7.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (11.3%)	19.4	869^th of 1039 public elementary schools	16.4%		13.3	920^th of 1044 public elementary schools	11.9%	51	21.9	42.9	21.4	33.3	31.9	20.0	47.8	42.9	71%		$23,491	$1,260	$22,230
Elvehjem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5106 Academy Dr	Madison	53716	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1400	415	31	13.6	36.6%	218 (52.5%)	51 (12.3%)	61 (14.7%)	23 (5.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (13.5%)	58.1	479^th of 1039 public elementary schools	53.9%		55.4	526^th of 1044 public elementary schools	49.6%	47	55.4	63.0	52.2	60.7	54.4	35.8	73.9	71.7	≥ 95%		$22,344	$491	$21,853
Schenk Elementary	Public	K-5	230 Schenk St	Madison	53714	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-1500	394	42	9.4	58.1%	116 (29.4%)	79 (20.1%)	138 (35.0%)	20 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (10.4%)	19	873^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	16.0%		19.6	876^th of 1044 public elementary schools	16.1%	3	22.2	35.9	31.6	22.2	26.9	24.6	52.6	41.0	93%		$25,633	$1,089	$24,545
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3344 Concord Ave	Madison	53714	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2500	360	35	10.2	66.7%	65 (18.1%)	90 (25.0%)	117 (32.5%)	38 (10.6%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (11.7%)	17.5	887^th of 1039 public elementary schools	14.6%		15.3	904^th of 1044 public elementary schools	13.4%	17	18.6	34.8	29.0	9.3	32.6	31.6	54.4	32.6	83%		$22,157	$1,261	$20,896
Lowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	401 Maple Ave	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-6600	329	28	11.7	44.7%	168 (51.1%)	84 (25.5%)	38 (11.6%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.4%)	68.4	340^th of 1039 public elementary schools	67.3%		59.6	467^th of 1044 public elementary schools	55.3%	127	47.8	72.2	62.8	60.9	55.6	58.1	74.1	75.9	91%		$21,086	$695	$20,391
Dr Virginia Henderson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Tompkins Dr	Madison	53716	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2400	462	45	10.2	58.7%	119 (25.8%)	89 (19.3%)	174 (37.7%)	30 (6.5%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	41 (8.9%)	21	857^th of 1039 public elementary schools	17.5%		25.1	837^th of 1044 public elementary schools	19.8%	20	32.8	36.2	39.4	22.4	35.3	25.8	47.1	38.2	93%		$23,893	$1,175	$22,718
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2421 E Johnson St	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2000	297	30	9.9	54.2%	128 (43.1%)	80 (26.9%)	44 (14.8%)	7 (2.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.4%)	39.9	724^th of 1039 public elementary schools	30.3%		41.2	712^th of 1044 public elementary schools	31.8%	12	50.0	49.2	41.2	41.7	40.3	38.2	55.6	55.6	83%		$23,216	$1,144	$22,073
Winnequah School	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Greenway Rd	Monona	53716	Dane County	Monona Grove School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 221-7677	602	51	11.8	20.3%	455 (75.6%)	21 (3.5%)	53 (8.8%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (10.8%)	77	214^th of 1039 public elementary schools	79.4%		78.1	189^th of 1044 public elementary schools	81.9%	25	74.5	72.9	59.7	67.4	71.9	57.9	80.2	72.9	94%		$16,598	$309	$16,289
Sandburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4114 Donald Dr	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7940	410	40	10.2	57.3%	76 (18.5%)	59 (14.4%)	199 (48.5%)	22 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (12.9%)	20.7	858^th of 1039 public elementary schools	17.4%		15.7	902^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	13.6%	44	37.7	38.6	35.9	38.7	22.4	22.2	46.6	32.8	79%		$25,290	$789	$24,502
Marquette Elementary	Public	3-5	1501 Jenifer St	Madison	53703	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-3220	169	15	11.1	36.1%	97 (57.4%)	41 (24.3%)	13 (7.7%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.7%)	77.2	209^th of 1039 public elementary schools	79.9%		70.1	315^th of 1044 public elementary schools	69.8%	106	70.4	75.4	63.0	70.4	65.6	55.6	80.3	72.1			$20,381	$527	$19,854

Frequently Asked Questions about Kennedy Elementary

What schools do graduates of Kennedy Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kennedy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Whitehorse Middle
High : LaFollette High

Is Kennedy Elementary a good school?

Kennedy Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.4% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Kennedy Elementary?

Students at Kennedy Elementary are 41% African American, 30% White, 11% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 7% Asian.

What district is Kennedy Elementary in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

How many students attend Kennedy Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 582 students attended Kennedy Elementary.

Rate Kennedy Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin Elementary School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Madison, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Kennedy Elementary!

Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

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