Enrollment
821
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Riviera Beach, FL
John F. Kennedy Middle School
Federal NCES profile for John F. Kennedy Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120150001486
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John F. Kennedy Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #2 of 11
- public schools in Riviera Beach · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
John F. Kennedy Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John F. Kennedy Middle School ranks #2 of 11 public schools in Riviera Beach, FL.
School address
District: Palm Beach · Florida
NCES ID 120150001486 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John F. Kennedy Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at John F. Kennedy Middle School
John F. Kennedy Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Riviera Beach, Florida, enrolling 821 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 78.1% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 821 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 608 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #49, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 220 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 821 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students) and Jupiter High School (3,122 students) alongside John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How John F. Kennedy Middle School compares
John F. Kennedy Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 50% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 821 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
821
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 56% in Florida - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,727
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 193 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 61.1%
Hispanic or Latino 29.5%
White 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, John F. Kennedy Middle School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Beach, which includes John F. Kennedy Middle School.
$12,727
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 21.7%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How John F. Kennedy Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John I. Leonard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jupiter High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Vista Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Boca Raton Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Beach Lakes High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John F. Kennedy Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,262
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,819
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~821 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John F. Kennedy Middle School's federal record.
- Compare John F. Kennedy Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Beach's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about John F. Kennedy Middle School
How many students attend John F. Kennedy Middle School?
John F. Kennedy Middle School has 821 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Riviera Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy Middle School is 17.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John F. Kennedy Middle School?
78.1% of students at John F. Kennedy Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John F. Kennedy Middle School?
The largest demographic group at John F. Kennedy Middle School is African American at 61.1% of enrollment, in Riviera Beach, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John F. Kennedy Middle School?
John F. Kennedy Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does John F. Kennedy Middle School rank among public schools in Riviera Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, John F. Kennedy Middle School ranks #2 of 11 public schools in Riviera Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Riviera Beach on the city page.
Is John F. Kennedy Middle School a good school?
John F. Kennedy Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Palm Beach?
Besides John F. Kennedy Middle School, Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students), Jupiter High School (3,122 students), and Park Vista Community High School (2,881 students). See the Palm Beach district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.