Howard Kennedy School

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Howard Kennedy Elementary School
Location
2906 N. 30th Street
Omaha, 68011
Information
School district Omaha Public Schools
Type public, elementary school
Grades K-6
Opened in 1888
Homepage 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.[1]

Contents

[edit] 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.[2] The current building was constructed in 1916[3] 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.[4]

[edit] 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.[5] It is a participant in the Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program funded by the United States Department of Education.[6]

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.[7] The school also participates in an annual Omaha Police Department basketball tournament.[8]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sayers, G. and Silverman, A. (2001) I Am Third: The Inspiration for Brian's Song. Penguin Books. p 91.
  2. ^ "Douglas County", Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska. Retrieved 12/29/07.
  3. ^ Howard Kennedy Elementary School, Omaha Public Schools. Retrieved 12/29/07.
  4. ^ Work, M.N. (1912) Negro Year Book: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro. Negro Year Book Publishing Co. p 36.
  5. ^ School Profile: Howard Kennedy Elementary School, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Retrieved 12/29/07.
  6. ^ "Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program". Nebraska State Department of Education. Retrieved 12/29/07.
  7. ^ Bright Futures Partnership, All Our Kids Bright Futures, Inc. Retrieved 12/29/07.
  8. ^ "P.A.L. Basketball Tournament November 3, 2007". Omaha Police Department. November 2, 2007. Retrieved 12/29/07.

[edit] External links


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