Howard Kennedy School

Infobox School
name = Howard Kennedy Elementary School
type = public, elementary school
location = 2906 N. 30th Street
Omaha, 68011


district = Omaha Public Schools
grades = K-6
principal =
faculty =
students =
colors =
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free_label = Opened in 1888
free_label2 =
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website = [http://www.ops.org/elementary/kennedy Link]

Howard Kennedy Elementary School is located at 2906 North 30th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. Almost since its inception Kennedy was regarded as one of Omaha's "black schools," almost exclusively African American because of the city's defacto segregation practices. Football great Gale Sayers attended the school. [Sayers, G. and Silverman, A. (2001) "I Am Third: The Inspiration for Brian's Song." Penguin Books. p 91. ]

History

Howard Kennedy School originally served students from kindergarten through ninth grade. It is named after the public school educator in Omaha, who served as the first teacher, principal and superintendent starting in 1859. [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/andreas/douglas/douglas-p17.html "Douglas County"] , "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska." Retrieved 12/29/07.] The current building was constructed in 1916 [ [http://www.ops.org/ops/SCHOOLS/SchoolInformationPages/ElementarySchools/tabid/95/Default.aspx Howard Kennedy Elementary School] , Omaha Public Schools. Retrieved 12/29/07.] and remodeled in 2005.

In 1912 the school was home to Omaha's champion student writer. Alice Watson, an eighth grade student, was lauded in the national "Negro Year Book: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro" for the honor. [Work, M.N. (1912) "Negro Year Book: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro". Negro Year Book Publishing Co. p 36.]

Present

Today the school has approximately 240 students, with a more than 84% African American student body. Hispanics count for 10%, and white students for 5%, with Native American and "other" covering the remainder.

Kennedy is a schoolwide Title I with an 84.26% poverty rate. [ [http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/readingfirst/results.cgi?location=show_single_record&showschool=6287 School Profile: Howard Kennedy Elementary School] , Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Retrieved 12/29/07.] It is a participant in the Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program funded by the United States Department of Education. [ [http://www.nde.state.ne.us/21stcclc/GrantsAwarded.doc "Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program"] . Nebraska State Department of Education. Retrieved 12/29/07.]

Starting in 2005 the school became a part of the Bright Futures Partnership, a collaboration between Omaha Public Schools and several nonprofit organizations designed to help at-risk youth prepare for middle school and work toward their high school graduation. [ [http://www.allourkids.org/brightfutures.shtml Bright Futures Partnership] , All Our Kids Bright Futures, Inc. Retrieved 12/29/07.] The school also participates in an annual Omaha Police Department basketball tournament. [ [http://www.opd.ci.omaha.ne.us/NEWS/docs/OPD-MR-NEWS-4369.htm "P.A.L. Basketball Tournament November 3, 2007"] . Omaha Police Department. November 2, 2007. Retrieved 12/29/07.]

ee also

* Education in North Omaha, Nebraska
* List of public schools in Omaha, Nebraska

References

External links

* [http://www.historicomaha.com/ofcimg26.jpgPhoto of Mr. Howard Kennedy]
* [http://www.ops.org/ops/SCHOOLS/SchoolInformationPages/ElementarySchools/tabid/95/Default.aspx Official webpage]