JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL vs SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL
JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL and SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL are very closely rated, both scoring around 8.4 out of 10. In math proficiency, JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL leads at 57.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL
West Babylon, NY
333 students
SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL
West Babylon, NY
356 students
Keep or send this comparison
Send to my realtor
Open an email to my realtorRatings Comparison
| Metric | JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL | SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 8.4 / 10 | 8.6 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 6.3 | 7.6 |
| Growth Score | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 26.7% | 45.5% |
| Environment Score | 9.2 | 8.8 |
| State Rank | #220 of 4,744 | #117 of 4,744 |
| State Percentile | 95th | 98th |
Test Scores
| Subject | JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL | SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 57.0% | 42.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 42.0% | 37.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL | SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Pre-K – 5th | Pre-K – 5th |
| Enrollment | 333 | 356 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 11.1:1 | 9.9:1 |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 26.7% | 45.5% |
| District | WEST BABYLON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT | WEST BABYLON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| City | West Babylon | West Babylon |
Neighborhood
| Metric | West Babylon (11704) | West Babylon (11704) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $127,034 | $127,034 |
| Median Home Value | $485,400 | $485,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,089 | $2,089 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 31.8% | 31.8% |
| Poverty Rate | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Avg Commute | 32 min | 32 min |
The data story: JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL vs SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL
John F Kennedy School and Santapogue School are separated by just 2.4 miles in West Babylon, New York, yet they sit just one spot apart in New York state rankings — Kennedy at #37 of 4,739 schools and Santapogue at #38 of 4,739. Both schools earned an identical overall rating of 9.2/10, placing them among the top 1% of elementary schools statewide. For parents weighing these two options, the differences emerge in the details rather than the headline numbers.
On academics, John F Kennedy School holds a slim edge with a 7.8/10 academic score compared to Santapogue School's 7.6/10 — a 0.2-point gap that reflects a modest but measurable difference in tested proficiency. Santapogue flips the advantage on growth, earning a 9.9/10 growth score against Kennedy's 9.8/10, suggesting that Santapogue students show marginally stronger year-over-year learning gains relative to their starting points. Both schools are genuinely exceptional on growth, and neither advantage is large enough to be a deciding factor on its own.
The demographic profiles of the two schools diverge more sharply. Santapogue School enrolls 356 students compared to Kennedy's 333, and its free and reduced-price lunch rate stands at 46% — nearly double Kennedy's 27%. That gap signals a meaningfully different socioeconomic mix and may reflect differences in the neighborhood populations each school draws from. Santapogue also offers a lower student-teacher ratio of 9.9:1 versus Kennedy's 11.1:1, meaning each teacher at Santapogue is responsible for roughly one fewer student on average — a practical difference in classroom attention.
Both schools serve students in grades PK through 5, so grade-level access is identical. The distinction parents should weigh is environment: Kennedy's lower FRL rate and slightly higher academic score may reflect a more academically concentrated peer group, while Santapogue's tighter staffing ratio and marginally stronger growth score suggest a school that accelerates student progress effectively across a broader range of starting points.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL
John F Kennedy School is the better fit for families who prioritize a slightly higher academic proficiency baseline and a somewhat smaller economic diversity footprint. With a 7.8/10 academic score and a 27% free and reduced lunch rate, it may appeal to parents whose children are already performing at or above grade level and who want a peer environment with strong tested outcomes.
SANTAPOGUE SCHOOL
Santapogue School suits families who value individual attention and strong learning momentum. Its 9.9:1 student-teacher ratio — the lowest of the two schools — gives teachers more capacity per student, and its 9.9/10 growth score suggests students make strong gains regardless of where they start. Families with children who benefit from tighter teacher support will find Santapogue's staffing model a practical advantage.