The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kennedy Elementary School
Kennedy Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Omaha Public Schools system. It sits in the north-central part of Omaha, a large city that is Nebraska’s population center and home to several Fortune 500 headquarters, historic commercial districts, and a mix of urban and suburban neighborhoods. The school itself occupies a zip code where housing values and rents are well below the state and national averages, and the local housing market shows modest year-over-year appreciation. Mortgage and rent costs are close to each other here, which is a different balance than in many parts of the metro area.
Academically, Kennedy’s state assessment results stand out as a serious point for a family to consider. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science were reported at zero percent across grades three through five. That is an unusually low figure. Multi-year trend data available for ELA shows that at an earlier point within the same school year the rate was higher, but the final recorded result for 2024‑25 is zero across the board. When placed against other elementary schools in Douglas County, Kennedy’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. A parent looking at these numbers should want to talk directly with the school about what instruction and support look like day to day, since the data alone raises clear questions about current academic outcomes.
The student body of about that size for an elementary school is majority Black, with a substantial Asian cohort and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. White students make up a small fraction of enrollment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a family with a child who may need those supports should ask the school directly about its special education and language services. Free or reduced-price lunch counts were also missing from the reporting, which would otherwise give a sense of the economic profile of the school community.
No program offerings were included in the data. That leaves a gap for families who are looking for after-school activities, enrichment, or specialized curricula. The school’s website and direct inquiry would be the next step.
Omaha Public Schools, the district Kennedy belongs to, launched a major literacy initiative in 2024 called Moonshot, with the goal of having all students reading on grade level by 2030. It incorporates the Science of Reading and structured literacy curriculum and is embedded in the district’s 2026‑30 strategic plan. For a school with very low tested reading proficiency, this district‑wide effort is directly relevant. Families enrolling a child at Kennedy now will encounter a sustained pedagogical shift aimed at building foundational reading skills across all elementary grades.
The surrounding neighborhood is part of a large city that offers a defined downtown core, cultural institutions like the Durham Museum and Joslyn Art Museum, the Henry Doorly Zoo, and the RiverFront parkland. The economy is diversified, with major corporate headquarters and a metro GDP that supports steady, modest population growth. For a family weighing this school, the city’s amenities and job base are a plus, but the local housing market is more affordable than Omaha’s average, which may reflect the specific character of this north Omaha area.
Kennedy Elementary is a small neighborhood school in a large urban district where recent state test results are very low. The district’s reading initiative signals a commitment to change, but the data on current student achievement is stark. A parent should make a point of visiting the school, reviewing classroom instruction, and understanding what academic supports are in place now and how the Moonshot plan will reach this building. The student body is diverse, and the community context is urban Omaha with its full range of opportunities and challenges. Without more detailed program and service information, Kennedy remains a school where direct inquiry is essential for any family considering it.
See more original research from School Decision →