Is Kennedy Gardens Elementary a good school?

Kennedy Gardens Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.1% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Kennedy Gardens Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 529 students attended Kennedy Gardens Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Kennedy Gardens Elementary?

Students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary are 98% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Kennedy Gardens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kennedy Gardens Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : William Moreno Junior High High : Calexico High

Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Summary:

Kennedy Gardens Elementary is a public elementary school located in Calexico, California, serving grades K-6 with a student population of 530. The school is part of the Calexico Unified School District, which is ranked 1389 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kennedy Gardens Elementary faces significant challenges, with high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 17.1% to 63.8% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average and other nearby schools in the Calexico Unified District. Academically, the school consistently performs below the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 17.35% of students proficient or better in ELA and 8.57% in Mathematics, compared to 27.57% and 17.23% for the district, respectively. The school struggles to support its diverse subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools for female, male, Hispanic, English Language Learner, low socioeconomic status, migrant, and disabled students.

While all the schools in the Calexico Unified District face academic challenges, Jefferson Elementary, Rockwood Elementary, and Cesar Chavez Elementary generally perform better than Kennedy Gardens Elementary, suggesting opportunities to learn from their practices. Additionally, the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Kennedy Gardens Elementary, ranging from 88.73% to 90.57%, indicates that the school serves a predominantly low-income community, which likely contributes to the challenges it faces in supporting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public K-6

2300 Rockwood Ave.
Calexico, CA 92231-1726

(760) 768-3842

District: Calexico Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5619^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Kennedy Gardens Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	William Moreno Junior High
High:	Calexico High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.1

Number of students: 529

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.1%

White:

0.6%

Two or more races:

0.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.4%

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Compare Kennedy Gardens Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kennedy Gardens Elementary ranks worse than 95.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Calexico Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (98.1%), two or more races (0.6%), White (0.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 93.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kennedy Gardens Elementary is 25.1. 4 elementary schools in the Calexico Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Kennedy Gardens Elementary employs 21 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kennedy Gardens Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Kennedy Gardens Elementary 5619^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Kennedy Gardens Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Calexico Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Calexico Unified 1389^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Kennedy Gardens Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	16.72	4209^th	4809	12.5%
2005	11.41	4570^th	4822	5.2%
2006	18.08	4128^th	4818	14.3%
2007	16.70	4526^th	5113	11.5%
2008	13.98	4715^th	5113	7.8%
2009	18.49	4538^th	5193	12.6%
2011	13.90	5009^th	5377	6.8%
2012	5.56	5328^th	5390	1.2%
2013	5.50	5460^th	5530	1.3%
2015	12.21	5337^th	5611	4.9%
2016	11.76	5315^th	5614	5.3%
2017	10.13	5486^th	5692	3.6%
2018	9.82	5447^th	5662	3.8%
2019	16.53	5115^th	5789	11.6%
2022	9.43	5761^st	5883	2.1%
2023	15.08	5318^th	5874	9.5%
2024	11.00	5619^th	5862	4.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.19	2706^th	3246	16.6%
2019	31.05	2408^th	3275	26.5%
2022	25.74	2895^th	3311	12.6%
2023	39.42	1866^th	3250	42.6%
2024	28.70	2631^st	3160	16.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	12.97	4836^th	5084	4.9%
2019	21.42	4461^st	5173	13.8%
2022	11.62	5130^th	5264	2.5%
2023	18.61	4804^th	5374	10.6%
2024	13.13	5258^th	5511	4.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	11.84	67^th	68	1.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	24.66	304^th	356	14.6%
2023	15.70	323^rd	336	3.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.39	5173^rd	5413	4.4%
2019	15.00	5027^th	5492	8.5%
2022	12.24	5415^th	5635	3.9%
2023	15.50	5107^th	5617	9.1%
2024	11.50	5391^st	5605	3.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	15.79	2223^rd	2227	0.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	9.20	5302^nd	5431	2.4%
2019	18.97	4752^nd	5510	13.8%
2022	8.92	5589^th	5663	1.3%
2023	16.49	5044^th	5650	10.7%
2024	11.70	5384^th	5636	4.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.04	4595^th	4830	4.9%
2019	23.18	4163^rd	4963	16.1%
2022	11.93	4956^th	5084	2.5%
2023	20.62	4451^st	5098	12.7%
2024	14.42	4793^rd	5102	6.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kennedy Gardens Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	2	0	0	466	0	n/a	n/a	0	468
1989	0	0	0	446	0	n/a	n/a	0	446
1990	1	0	0	436	0	n/a	n/a	0	437
1991	0	0	0	424	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
1992	0	0	0	435	0	n/a	n/a	0	435
1993	0	0	0	442	0	n/a	n/a	0	442
1994	1	0	0	448	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1995	6	0	0	467	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
1996	6	0	0	467	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
1997	3	0	0	428	0	n/a	n/a	0	431
1998	4	1	0	410	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1999	3	0	0	426	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
2000	0	0	0	537	0	n/a	n/a	0	537
2001	1	0	0	626	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
2002	4	0	0	705	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
2003	4	0	0	705	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
2004	5	0	0	743	0	n/a	n/a	0	748
2005	5	0	0	775	0	n/a	n/a	0	780
2006	7	1	0	814	0	n/a	n/a	0	822
2007	6	0	0	852	0	n/a	n/a	0	858
2008	7	n/a	n/a	659	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	666
2009	11	0	2	577	0	0	0	0	590
2010	7	0	0	564	0	0	1	0	572
2011	3	0	0	670	0	0	0	0	673
2012	2	0	0	594	1	0	1	0	598
2013	1	0	1	604	1	0	0	0	607
2014	2	0	1	593	2	0	1	0	599
2015	1	0	1	563	0	0	1	0	566
2016	0	0	4	582	0	0	1	0	587
2017	0	0	4	562	0	0	1	0	567
2018	0	0	5	585	0	0	1	0	591
2019	0	0	2	545	0	0	1	0	548
2020	1	0	1	565	0	0	1	2	570
2021	0	0	1	547	0	0	1	1	550
2022	0	0	1	499	0	0	2	1	503
2023	1	0	1	521	0	0	5	2	530
2024	3	0	2	519	0	0	3	2	529

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kennedy Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	468	17.3	27.0	n/a
1989	446	18.0	24.7	n/a
1990	437	17.0	25.7	n/a
1991	424	16.0	26.5	n/a
1992	435	16.3	26.6	94.9
1993	442	16.0	27.6	74.9
1994	449	18.0	24.9	81.1
1995	473	18.0	26.3	79.1
1996	473	18.0	26.3	79.1
1997	431	18.0	23.9	87.2
1998	415	21.0	19.8	92
1999	429	21.0	20.4	89.5
2000	537	26.0	20.7	91.1
2001	627	33.0	19.0	91.1
2002	709	36.0	19.7	92
2003	709	36.0	19.7	92
2004	748	35.5	21.1	82.8
2005	780	38.0	20.5	82.1
2006	822	40.0	20.6	80.9
2007	858	41.0	20.9	81.4
2008	666	35.0	19.0	80
2009	590	27.0	19.7	82
2010	572	22.0	26.0	82.9
2011	673	n/a	n/a	82.8
2012	598	22.7	26.3	n/a
2013	607	24.0	25.2	99.5
2014	599	24.0	24.9	85.1
2015	566	24.0	23.5	77
2016	587	25.0	23.4	85.2
2017	567	25.0	22.6	83.8
2018	591	25.0	23.6	90.9
2019	548	23.0	23.8	91.1
2020	570	n/a	n/a	91.2
2021	550	24.0	22.9	88.7
2022	503	21.0	23.9	89.1
2023	530	21.0	25.2	90.6
2024	529	21.0	25.1	93.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Kennedy Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	468	17.3	27.0	n/a
1989	446	18.0	24.7	n/a
1990	437	17.0	25.7	n/a
1991	424	16.0	26.5	n/a
1992	435	16.3	26.6	94.9
1993	442	16.0	27.6	74.9
1994	449	18.0	24.9	81.1
1995	473	18.0	26.3	79.1
1996	473	18.0	26.3	79.1
1997	431	18.0	23.9	87.2
1998	415	21.0	19.8	92
1999	429	21.0	20.4	89.5
2000	537	26.0	20.7	91.1
2001	627	33.0	19.0	91.1
2002	709	36.0	19.7	92
2003	709	36.0	19.7	92
2004	748	35.5	21.1	82.8
2005	780	38.0	20.5	82.1
2006	822	40.0	20.6	80.9
2007	858	41.0	20.9	81.4
2008	666	35.0	19.0	80
2009	590	27.0	19.7	82
2010	572	22.0	26.0	82.9
2011	673	n/a	n/a	82.8
2012	598	22.7	26.3	n/a
2013	607	24.0	25.2	99.5
2014	599	24.0	24.9	85.1
2015	566	24.0	23.5	77
2016	587	25.0	23.4	85.2
2017	567	25.0	22.6	83.8
2018	591	25.0	23.6	90.9
2019	548	23.0	23.8	91.1
2020	570	n/a	n/a	91.2
2021	550	24.0	22.9	88.7
2022	503	21.0	23.9	89.1
2023	530	21.0	25.2	90.6
2024	529	21.0	25.1	93.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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