John F. Kennedy Middle, Redwood City CA

Original Research by School Decision on John F. Kennedy Middle

John F. Kennedy Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Redwood City, a mixed commercial-and-residential city anchored by a downtown civic core near the Caltrain station. The school sits within Redwood City Elementary School District, which is currently navigating significant budget constraints tied to the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funding. Those constraints have already produced changes families encounter directly: the district has moved to combined multi-grade classes and reduced teaching positions, and elementary campuses now operate with only a principal as the lone administrator. A parcel tax ballot measure failed in June 2026, so the district's ongoing budget pressure remains unaddressed by new local revenue. On the positive side, voters approved a substantial facilities bond in 2022 that is funding multi-year capital work including air conditioning, LED lighting, and solar upgrades across campuses, with Kennedy Middle included in the next phase of permanent air conditioning installation planned for summer 2026.

The school's recent state assessment results show uneven performance. In English language arts, students in grades seven and eight are performing around the midpoint: a majority of seventh graders and a majority of eighth graders met proficiency standards. Grade six ELA proficiency was lower. Mathematics proficiency is consistently weaker across all three grades, with roughly one-quarter to one-third of students meeting standards; sixth grade math proficiency was particularly low. Science proficiency at grade eight, the only science grade tested, was also notably low. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in San Mateo County. A parent may want to look into further with the school whether particular grade transitions or subject areas are receiving targeted academic support, and what math intervention approaches are in place.

The school serves a student body that is predominantly Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Roughly one in four students is white, and other racial and ethnic groups are represented in smaller numbers. The enrollment is small to mid-sized for a middle school, distributed relatively evenly across the three grades. Demographic data on English learners and students with disabilities was not available.

Redwood City itself is a city of distinct neighborhoods and a revitalized downtown. The downtown core around Courthouse Square is highly walkable and event-driven, with the Caltrain station anchoring frequent transit service, multiple bus routes, and bike infrastructure. Beyond the walkable center, quieter tree-lined residential enclaves like Emerald Hills, Palm Estates, and Redwood Shores offer different living experiences. The city is on a growth trajectory; new housing, mixed-use projects, and pedestrian-priority planning are reshaping the downtown area, particularly around the transit district. The local economy has historically centered on technology firms, especially in Redwood Shores, though Oracle's relocation of its headquarters to Austin in 2020 and subsequent layoffs have reshaped employment. Housing values in the area remain high relative to national benchmarks, reflecting the region's overall cost of living.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 33% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 37% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 37% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 46% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 53% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 55% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 31% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 47% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

This schoolRedwood City Elementary, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income67%38 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income73%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income82%37 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income46%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income64%43 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income63%45 pp gap