Dreaming of the perfect education? John F Kennedy High School was once a four-year public high school. It opened its doors in 1972. Its final class graduated in 2014.
Now, the building serves as the John F Kennedy Educational Campus. It houses five public high schools. Two charter high schools also call it home. The campus serves grades 9 through 12. The New York City Department of Education operates it.
The John F Kennedy Educational Campus sits on 99 Terrace View Avenue. This location straddles the Bronx and Manhattan border. It lies between Spuyten Duyvil and Marble Hill. Marble Hill is legally part of Manhattan. Geographically, it’s in the Bronx.
John F Kennedy High School boasted a successful Public Schools Athletic program. Its male sports teams were known as the Knights. The female teams went by the Flame. The school won 37 Public Schools Athletic League championships by 2011. Titles included basketball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, and track and field.
The site has a rich history. Before the 20th century, Spuyten Duyvil Creek ran through here. It separated Manhattan and the Bronx. Tibbett Avenue was once Tibbetts Brook. In 1895, the Harlem River Ship Canal was dug. It separated Marble Hill from Manhattan. The original creek was filled in 1914. The land became Kingsbridge Yard. It was a freight spur for the New York Central Railroad.
In the mid-1960s, the city planned John F Kennedy High School. It was part of an educational park. The park included two middle schools. There were plans for a planetarium, museum, and weather station. A community center was also envisioned. The school was named after President John F. Kennedy. He resided in nearby Riverdale as a youth. The school aimed to serve students from the Northwest Bronx and Upper Manhattan. It was built to relieve overcrowding at other schools.
Construction began in 1969. John F Kennedy High School opened on September 11, 1972. The adjacent middle schools were completed later.
In 1982, John F Kennedy formed an arts program with Fieldston School. A mural was created on the building’s south side. It faced the athletic fields. The mural has since been removed. Also in 1982, Kennedy High School hosted the Phoenix House academy. It educated former drug addicts.
By 1982, the high school was overcrowded. It housed nearly 5,500 students. In 1985, its performance was considered deficient. By 1995, less than 25 percent of seniors graduated. The school also suffered increasing crime.
In 2002, metal detectors were installed. This followed a fatal stabbing outside the school. Smaller high schools were established within the John F Kennedy campus. Marble Hill High School opened in September 2002. Other schools followed.
The enrollment of John F Kennedy High School began shrinking in 2004. This happened as the small schools grew. In late 2010, the Department of Education decided to close John F Kennedy. The school was underperforming. The four-year graduation rate was 46%.
John F Kennedy High School graduated its final class in June 2014. In mid-2014, solar panels were installed on the roof. In 2015, a gas explosion damaged the building. Today, the John F Kennedy Educational Campus continues to serve students. It carries the legacy of its namesake. It is focused on providing educational opportunities.