The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Math. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kennedy Elementary
Kennedy Elementary is a regular public school in Willmar, Minnesota, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Willmar Public School District. The school occupies a location southwest of the city’s downtown core, in a mixed residential and institutional corridor near the county fairgrounds. Willmar itself is a regional trade and government center for Kandiyohi County, with an economy rooted in turkey processing, agriculture, healthcare, and education. Since the late 1980s, the city has drawn a large immigrant population from Latin America and Northeast Africa, primarily for labor at the Jennie-O poultry plant, which has reshaped both the labor market and the demographic character of the community.
Academically, the picture at Kennedy Elementary is mixed and leans toward the lower end of local benchmarks. State assessment results from the most recent year show that proficiency rates in mathematics and English language arts vary by grade, but the overall combined proficiency index places the school below the midpoint among the four districts in Kandiyohi County. In reading, the share of students meeting proficiency was in the low to upper range depending on grade, with the higher grades performing somewhat better than the lower ones. Math proficiency was similarly moderate. Science results for fifth graders were notably lower, with only a small proportion of students reaching the proficient level. Because this is a single year of data, and the assessment in science underwent a change in name and cut scores, direct comparison to prior years is not possible. The school’s academic trends do not yet have multiple years of data for reliable comparison.
The student body is diverse and economically disadvantaged. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic, followed by White students, then Black students, with smaller numbers of Asian students and students of two or more races. American Indian and Native Hawaiian populations are very small. The school does not report the share of students with disabilities or English learners in the available data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and language support programs.
Kennedy Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. No information was available about specific program offerings, enrichment activities, or course access. Discipline data, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism rates were also not reported. These gaps mean that a family considering the school would need to seek additional information about class size, support staff, and the school environment.
Housing in Willmar is more affordable than the state average, which is typical for a smaller regional center in central Minnesota. Rental costs are moderate, and home values have seen modest growth. The local economy offers employment in manufacturing, processing, healthcare, and government, though the dominant employer remains the poultry plant, which has attracted many immigrant workers.
Kennedy Elementary serves a young population in a community shaped by immigration and agricultural industry. Its test results indicate room for improvement compared to other districts in the county. For a family evaluating this school, the absence of detailed data on student support services, discipline, and staffing means that a direct conversation with the school and a visit would be important steps. The school’s diversity and high level of economic need are defining characteristics, and how the school addresses those needs is a question the available data leaves largely unanswered.
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