Original Research by School Decision on John F Kennedy H S
John F Kennedy High School serves students in grades nine through twelve as a regular public school within Edgewood ISD. The school enrolls roughly one thousand students, with a substantial freshman class and progressively smaller enrollment in upper grades. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-poverty student body concentrated in San Antonio's south and central areas.
Academic performance at Kennedy shows uneven results across subjects. In English language arts, about half of students demonstrate proficiency at the "approaches" level or above, though only a small share reach the "meets" standard. Mathematics proficiency follows a similar pattern, with about half at "approaches" level and much lower performance at higher achievement tiers. Science and social studies show notably stronger outcomes, with the vast majority of students reaching the "approaches" level. The data available is limited to a single year and shows no trend information, so a parent may want to look into whether these patterns reflect Kennedy's typical trajectory or represent a shift.
The school's setting sits in the 78226 zip code on South General McMullen Drive, an area of San Antonio marked by working and lower-middle-income housing stock. Home values in the immediate area are well below state and national medians, and rental affordability is stretched relative to local incomes. San Antonio itself is a fast-growing metro anchored by healthcare, military bases, and emerging tech sectors, with downtown and inner-city neighborhoods like those served by Edgewood ISD experiencing both redevelopment and demographic transition.
Edgewood ISD has been undergoing significant change. The district closed two schools in 2023 following enrollment declines, reduced enrollment overall, and faces ongoing academic performance challenges that triggered state-required improvement plans at multiple campuses, including at least one other school in the district. At the same time, the district has launched a series of choice-based "Schools of Innovation" programs including specialized leadership academies and two-way dual language instruction, giving families within the district options beyond traditional neighborhood schools.
The specific programs and staffing details at Kennedy High itself were not available in the data reviewed. State test data encompassed only the most recent year, so questions about whether Kennedy's performance is improving, stable, or declining would need to come from the school or district directly. A parent considering Kennedy should ask the school about course offerings, AP or dual-credit pathways, graduation rates, college-going outcomes, and how the school supports students who are performing below grade level in core subjects, particularly in mathematics where the proficiency gap is most pronounced.
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