John F. Kennedy High School (Guam)

John F. Kennedy High School (JFKHS),[1] formerly Tumon Senior-Junior High School,[2] is a public secondary school located in the Tumon area of Tamuning in the United States Territory of Guam.[2] It is a part of the Guam Department of Education.

John F. Kennedy High School
Address
John F. Kennedy High School
John F. Kennedy High School
331 N. Marine Corps Drive, Tamuning, Guam 96913

Tumon
,
Guam
Coordinates
Information
TypePublic School
Motto"Home of the Islanders"
Established1959
School districtGuam Department of Education
PrincipalBarbara R. Adamos, Ed.D.
Staff50
Faculty135
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,904 (SY 2016-2017)
Color(s)Green and Gold
MascotIslanders
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges
WebsiteJohn F. Kennedy High School

The school, which opened in September 1959, serves Tamuning, Hagåtña, and portions of Dededo.[2]

History

Early years

John F. Kennedy High School was opened in September 1959 as "Tumon Junior-Senior High School". The first graduating class was from the same school year and graduated in 1960. In November 1962, Typhoon Karen, a category 5 typhoon, devastated Guam, leaving the only other public high school, George Washington High School (GWHS) without a campus. Following Typhoon Karen, GWHS held double sessions at John F. Kennedy High School. During 1962, John F. Kennedy High School's chapter of the National Honor Society was chartered.[2]

In 1964, Governor Manuel F.L. Guerrero signed Public Law 7-113, introduced by Senator J.U. Torres. This law renamed Tumon Junior-Senior High School "John F. Kennedy High School".[3] Following enactment, the date of enactment was changed by Public Laws 7-124[4] and 7-125[5] to begin August 26, 1964. On August 26, 1965, Governor Guerrero signed Public Law 8-74, introduced by Senator George M. Bamba. This law appropriated $2,000 to design and erect a statue of President John F. Kennedy in front of John F. Kennedy High School.[6]

John F. Kennedy High School's Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFJROTC) started at the school in 1970. In 1976, the Guam Community College began offering vocational training courses in nursing, marketing, and electronics through JFKHS.[2]

Temporary relocation

In June 2008 some of John F. Kennedy High School's buildings were declared unsafe, so for the school year 2008–2009, Kennedy students shared space with George Washington High School in double sessions.[7] For the 2009–2010 school year, JFK moved into a facility in the Tiyan area of Barrigada. While other public high schools welcomed their students back on Tuesday, August 11, students at the interim John F. Kennedy high school at Tiyan were met with bad news after hearing that their school was delayed further after large amounts of the chlordane were found in the soil and in the air. The students were able to finally arrive to school on August 24 after the chlordane levels in the air were declared safe.[8][9]

Accreditation

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the accreditation authority for John F. Kennedy High School. The following is a brief summary of the accreditation history of JFKHS:

Accreditation year Accreditation period granted
1986 initial, 6 years accreditation[10]
1993 6 years accreditation[10]
1996 mid-term visit, reaffirmed[10]
1999 3 years accreditation[10]
2002 3 years accreditation[10]
2005 2 years accreditation[10]
2007 1 year accreditation[10]

Student body

During the 1999-2000 school year, the school had 2,400 students. 42% were Filipino, 37% were Chamorro, and the next largest groups Asians and other Pacific Islanders.[11]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. "Progress Report Smaller Learning Communities Planning Grant." Guam Public School System. June 30, 2005.
  2. History. John F. Kennedy High School. Retrieved on September 1, 2009.
  3. Guam Legislature. Public Law 7-113 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Hagatna, 1964.
  4. Guam Legislature. Public Law 7-124 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Hagatna, 1964.
  5. Guam Legislature. Public Law 7-125 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Hagatna, 1964.
  6. Guam Legislature. Public Law 8-74 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Hagatna, 1965.
  7. "John F. Kennedy High remains in limbo." Pacific Daily News. June 23, 2009.
  8. Tamondong, Dionesis. "Pesticide found at JFK site: Concerns could delay classes at Tiyan facility." Pacific Daily News. August 8, 2009. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  9. Staff. "BREAKING NEWS: Final chlordane test in soil done, interim JFK could open Monday." Pacific Daily News. August 21, 2009. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  10. John F. Kennedy High School. Accreditation History. Tumon, 2012.
  11. "Guam's Public High Schools." Guam Public School System. Accessed September 8, 2008.
  12. "John Cruz biography". KUAM. 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  13. KUAM, Michael San Nicolas, Hagatna, July 2012.
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