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Massachusetts public elementary school

John F Kennedy Elementary

Somerville school district

A-
overall grade

Ranks #82 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools — top 10%.

Overall rank
#82
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
71%+29 vs MA
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
68%+24 vs MA
MA average 43%
Avg class size
18
439 students

ELA and Math show the share of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding expectations on the MCAS, averaged over 2024–2026.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Strongest area: ELA, in the top 6% statewide. An average of 71% of 3rd graders met or exceeded expectations over 2024–2026, vs 42% statewide.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 14% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 15.3% in 2022 to 12% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Excellenttop 10% · #82
ELA
Excellenttop 6% · #48
Math
Above averagetop 13% · #113
Attendance
Averagebottom 48% · #469
Teacher quality
Below averagebottom 14% · #778

MCAS standings use the 2024–2026 average of grade 3 results, so one unusual year doesn't swing a school's ranking. Scores in the sections below are from 2026.

Test scores

Both ELA and Math have been above the state average every year since 2018.

Share of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding expectations on the MCAS. There was no test in 2020.

English Language Arts67%in 2026 · state 43%
24 points above the state
0%50%100%This school67%State43%20172019202120232026
Math66%in 2026 · state 42%
24 points above the state
0%50%100%This school66%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)513
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)513
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)95th · 92nd

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students439
Average class size18MA avg 18
Students per teacher14.3MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
66.1%
Hispanic/Latino
11.9%
Multi-Race
11.2%
Asian
8%
Black/African American
2.7%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.2%

47.8% girls · 51.7% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
21.6%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
7.7%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesAbout average
This school
20.1%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
97.8%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
61.3%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
86.1%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearWorse than average
This school
68.4%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)30.6
Principal retention100%
General education teachers76.2%
Special education teachers22.5%
English learner teachers1.3%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
94.3%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
12%
MA avg
15.6%

9.7 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: 0.4% out-of-school, 0.2% in-school (MA elementary avg 2% / 1%)

About Somerville

Middlesex County · Greater Boston — Inside I-95
Avg single-family home value$854KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$9,376MA median $6,814
Tax rate$11.00 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$59,412MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school90.3%
Town bond ratingAAA
Free cash reserves6.1% of budget

Somerville district profile · What could you afford here? · All towns A–Z

Town figures are FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices. "MA median" is the median of the state's 351 towns.

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