Those interested in learning more about Kennedy are invited to attend “Consider Kennedy Night” on Nov. 17. The event begins at 6pm in the Kennedy Auditorium. Families will be able to meet teachers and coaches, tour the school and even experience  rehearsals with the varsity show choir, theater department and jazz band.  

According to principal Jason Kline, “Consider Kennedy Night” originated from a desire to reach out to students and families earlier in the year. 

“I felt like we needed to do something…to make sure families that are considering other schools, have all the information before they make a decision,” Kline said. “A lot of private schools will have meetings in November, and I thought we could benefit from doing something like that.”

For Kline, the most exciting part of the night is potential students will have the opportunity to experience Kennedy firsthand. 

“Being able to meet coaches and students, like student-athletes and those who are in other clubs or activities I think is going to be very helpful,” Kline said. “Getting tours is something that I’m really excited about being able to do early on.”

Kline hopes that the event will help Kennedy’s student population remain stable as education becomes increasingly competitive. Maintaining enrollment is a priority, especially with things like vouchers, charter schools and the opportunity of high school school choice brought with Cedar Rapid Community School District’s (CRCSD) Pathways program,  

“We want to make sure we draw in all the families we can,” Kline said. 

Ultimately, the main message of “Consider Kennedy Night” is that the school has something for everyone. 

“Because of the size of the school and because of the awesome teachers that we have, we offer more than any other school in the area,” Kline said. “…anything a kid wants to do in high school, they can do it here.”