The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kennedy Elementary School
Kennedy Elementary School is one of seven elementary schools in Keizer, a primarily residential suburb of Salem that sits in the Willamette Valley. The city, which incorporated after several attempts to resist annexation by Salem, grew rapidly in the 1990s and has maintained a small-town identity even as it expanded. Commercial life is spread along auto-oriented corridors like River Road and Chemawa Road, and the city lacks a traditional walkable downtown. The school itself sits on a campus in a residential neighborhood, consistent with the area’s suburban layout. The district is Salem-Keizer SD 24J, Oregon’s second-largest, which recently approved a major construction bond for safety and security upgrades, closed several elementary schools to address budget shortfalls, and adopted a new strategic plan centered on academic excellence, belonging, and workforce readiness.
Kennedy serves kindergarten through fifth grade and enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with just under a third of students identifying as white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent seeking information on special education services or language support programs would need to follow up directly with the school.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show proficiency rates that are low across all tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students meeting the proficiency benchmark was modest in third grade and lower in fourth and fifth grades. In English language arts, proficiency was also modest in third grade, lower in fourth grade, and higher in fifth grade. Science results for fifth graders were very low. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places Kennedy in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Marion County. These are the only testing data available, as the state assessment changed recently and no prior-year trend is yet established. The school serves only elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Given the student body size and grade band, Kennedy is a medium-sized elementary school. Class sizes are not reported in the available data, and information on course access, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism was not provided. A parent evaluating this school would want to investigate those areas directly with the school or district, as they affect the daily classroom experience and student support. Housing in the area is priced near the state benchmark, with rents rising recently, and the local unemployment rate is moderate.
For a family considering Kennedy, the picture is built on a few known points: a largely Hispanic student population, a high share of students from low-income households, and state test results that are well below the county median. The district has been making significant investments in facilities and strategic planning, but has also closed schools due to budget pressure, so a parent may want to ask how those changes affect Kennedy’s resources and enrollment boundaries. The school’s basic profile is clear; deeper questions about instruction, school climate, and enrichment will require conversations with the school itself.
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