School district Omaha Public Schools Website Link District Omaha Public Schools | Grades K-6 Phone +1 402-457-5520 | |
Type public, elementary school Address 2906 N 30th St, Omaha, NE 68111, USA Similar Franklin Elementary School, Pinewood Elementary School, Springville Elementary School, Omaha Adult High School, Lewis and Clark Middle Sc | ||
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. Football great Gale Sayers attended the school.
Contents
History
The school was founded as Omaha View School, as it sat on a hill overlooking downtown. It was founded by 1892. 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.
The current building was constructed in 1916, and renamed after the first public school educator in Omaha, who served as the first teacher, principal and superintendent starting in 1859. Kennedy originally served students from kindergarten through ninth grade.
Kennedy was remodeled extensively in 2005.
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. It is a participant in the Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program funded by the United States Department of Education.
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. The school also participates in an annual Omaha Police Department basketball tournament.