John F. Kennedy High School opened to 1,488 students in the 10th and 11th grades on September 14, 1964. For its first year of operation, there was no senior class. Kenneth MacPherson was Kennedy's first principal. Most buildings were ready except the dressing rooms, the gym, and playing fields. The school was to be named Centralia, in keeping with Board policy to name high schools after an elementary school district in the area; however, the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 prompted a group of patrons to have the school renamed in his honor. It was the first school in the country to have been named after the assassinated president. In the fall of 2011, the administration of Kennedy High School was criticized for its "Gold Card Program," in which students who performed well on the California Standardized Tests the previous year were given special recognition through special planners and ID cards, along with perks and bonuses at local businesses and throughout the school. Nearby Cypress High School had also implemented a similar program, but it did not receive as much media attention. Both schools have since removed or altered the program. Currently, Kennedy serves around 2,400 students in the 9th through 12th grades. Recent construction has added a quad area, a second practice gym, renovated classrooms, a new library and counseling center, a modular "4th court," as well as an extensive music building which includes an auditorium, two band rooms, two choir rooms, practice rooms, and a new pool.
Sports
Kennedy's sports teams are known as the Fighting Irish. They are a member of the Empire League in CIF'sSouthern Section. The school's main rival is Cypress High School. The Fighting Irish football team won the CIF-SS Southern Division Championship in 2006, adding to the AAA championship they had won in 1971. In 2017, the boys volleyball team captured their first CIF-SS Div IV championship in program history. It marked the first time in CIF Southern Section history a wild card team successfully captured the CIF title.
Complete list of Kennedy team CIF SS Championships
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a prestigious and rigorous course of education that prepares students for study in the most elite colleges and universities worldwide. Kennedy High School has been authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme since July 1999 and the programme is taught in English. Upon successful completion of all IB requirements and exams, students are awarded a second diploma that will grant one to two years of college credits. The University of California accepts IB Diploma holders as incoming sophomores.
