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Excellent

#121 of 1,793 schools in MA

Top 7% in state

John F Kennedy

Elementary School · Somerville · Somerville, MA

A Somerville elementary school where students score 29 points above what's typical for similar communities.

5 Cherry Street, Somerville, MA 02144

  • Math 65% vs MA 41% (2025)
  • Reading 69% vs MA 42% (2025)
  • 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.2Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data17
Annual Change-0.68 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics9.5Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency65.3% (2025 MCAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency69.3% (2025 MCAS)
Math vs. State Avg+23.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+26.7 pts
Overall Proficiency67% (2025 MCAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)38% (model expectation from 2025 MCAS)
vs. Expected+29.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile92th
Resources & Environment9.7Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.4:1
District spending per student$29,645
Chronic Absenteeism14.1%

Students at John F Kennedy score 67% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 38%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MA average.

Math Proficiency65%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
41%(2025 MCAS)
ELA Proficiency69%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
42%(2025 MCAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is up 10 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 67% recently.

Show all 17 years
2009
Math
51%
ELA
63%
2010
Math
53%
ELA
60%
2011
Math
50%
ELA
63%
2012
Math
61%
ELA
67%
2013
Math
58%
ELA
69%
2014
Math
58%
ELA
67%
2015
Math
65%
ELA
70%
2016
Math
59%
ELA
57%
2017
Math
68%
ELA
74%
2018
Math
68%
ELA
74%
2019
Math
69%
ELA
70%
2020*
Math
48%
ELA
64%
2021*
Math
49%
ELA
64%
2022
Math
63%
ELA
68%
2023
Math
64%
ELA
72%
2024
Math
61%
ELA
65%
2025
Math
65%
ELA
69%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 68% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 130 test records from MA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where John F Kennedy sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Boston map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 94Walker's Paradise
  • Transit 82Excellent Transit
  • Bike 96Biker’s Paradise
  • City Safety: High1,923/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Somerville), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$140,591

Median home value

$987,000

Median rent

$2,654/mo

College educated

75.2%

Homeownership

38%

Poverty rate

11.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 02144; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
St Theresa SchoolPrivate · tuition6.3privatePK–80.4 mi148Compare →
Maria L. BaldwinEnrollment path unverified9.9PK–50.5 mi352Compare →
Benjamin G BrownEnrollment path unverified6.5K–50.6 mi225Compare →
Graham and ParksEnrollment path unverified9.6PK–50.6 mi396Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Somerville

Schools in district
11
Rank in district
#1 of 10
District spending per student
$29,645NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

John F Kennedy is listed in Somerville; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About John F Kennedy

John F Kennedy is a public elementary school in Somerville, MA, part of Somerville, serving approximately 448 students in grades Pre-K-8th with a 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.9 out of 10 and ranks #121 of 1,793 schools in MA. State assessment records show 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about John F Kennedy

What grades does John F Kennedy serve?

John F Kennedy serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.

How many students attend John F Kennedy?

John F Kennedy has an enrollment of approximately 448 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy?

The student-teacher ratio at John F Kennedy is 12.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does John F Kennedy rank in MA?

John F Kennedy ranks #121 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is John F Kennedy's MySchoolScout rating?

John F Kennedy has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at John F Kennedy?

Based on loaded state assessment records, John F Kennedy has 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is John F Kennedy a charter school?

No, John F Kennedy is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is John F Kennedy a Title I school?

No, John F Kennedy is not currently a Title I school.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 8th
Enrollment
448
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
36
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Middlesex County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.1%
Area population (ZIP 02144)
25,009
Area average commute
31.6 min
Area median age
32
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 02144; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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