Kent-Meridian High School

{{Short description|Public high school in Kent, Washington}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox school | name = Kent-Meridian High School | image = | established = {{start date and age|1951}} | type = Public high school | district = Kent School District | grades = 9–12 | us_nces_school_id = [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?ID=530396000621 530396000621] | principal = David Radford | city = Kent | state = Washington | country = USA | campus_type = Urban | campus_size = | enrollment = 1,706 (2023–2024)<ref name="nces">{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=5303960&SchoolPageNum=2&ID=530396000621 |title=Kent-Meridian High School |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=May 26, 2025}}</ref> | teaching_staff = 89.32 (FTE)<ref name="nces" /> | ratio = 19.10<ref name="nces" /> | mascot = Royal Lion | colors = Red, white, and blue<br>{{Color box|red}} {{Color box|white}} {{Color box|blue}} | website = {{URL|https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/o/kmhs}} | coordinates = {{Coord|47.372758|-122.206957|format=dms|region:US_type:edu|display=inline,title}} | address = 10020 SE 256th Street | zipcode = 98030 }} '''Kent-Meridian High School''' is a public high school located in Kent, Washington, United States. It is one of four high schools in the Kent School District, along with Kentlake High School, Kentridge High School, and Kentwood High School. As of 2024, its principal is David Radford.<ref>{{cite web |title=Staff Directory |url=https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/domain/1889 |website=Kent-Meridian High School |access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref>

== History == The school opened in its present form in 1951 when the Kent School District merged with the Panther Lake and Meridian School Districts. This new high school served all three districts.<ref>[http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/vtours/kent/written/kent_histc2PRG.html "Period of Rapid Growth (1950-Today)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810185049/http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/vtours/kent/written/kent_histc2PRG.html |date=August 10, 2009 }} ''Kent History: A Virtual Tour of Kent, Washington'' Retrieved July 12, 2006.</ref> The former Kent High School building became Kent Junior High School.<ref>Slater, Marcia. [http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/community/history/ "Curriculum Management Audit:History of Kent School District] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923092815/http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/community/history/ |date=September 23, 2006 }} December 1998. Retrieved July 12, 2006.</ref>

==Athletics== Kent-Meridian is part of the Cascade Division of the North Puget Sound League as of the 2016–17 school year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentreporter.com/sports/367006581.html?mobile%3Dtrue |title=North Puget Sound League reforms after 26-year hiatus - Kent Reporter |access-date=2016-08-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919005009/http://www.kentreporter.com/sports/367006581.html?mobile=true |archive-date=September 19, 2016 }}</ref> Kent-Meridian High School's athletic teams are known as the Royals. Teams compete at French Field next to the school.

Kent-Meridian uses a swimming pool built as part of King County Forward Thrust, which is now owned by the city of Kent.

Kent-Meridian won a track state championship in 2011, and finished second in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wiaa.com/schoolhistory.aspx|title=WIAA | Washington Interscholastic Activities Association|access-date=January 19, 2014|archive-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701052120/http://wiaa.com/schoolhistory.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Taylor Trophy=== The Taylor Trophy is given to and kept by the winner of the yearly football rivalry between Auburn High School and Kent-Meridian dating back to 1908. Dr. Owen Taylor created the trophy presentation in 1929. Dr. Taylor owned the Kent hospital that was on Second Avenue and Gowe Street and he had a home on Scenic Hill. The rivalry is the second oldest football rivalry in Washington.<ref>http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/sports/29772954.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

== Kent-Meridian Technology Academy == Kent-Meridian is home to the Kent-Meridian Technology Academy. The KMTA is an innovative Small Learning Community that is part of Kent-Meridian, characterized by its utilization of project-based learning, STEAM, and 21st Century Skills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KMTA|title=Technology Academy (KMTA) / Our Program}}</ref>

Currently, KMTA offers classes for 9th through 10th grade, with a KMTA 11 program for 11th grade students.

==Notable alumni== {{alumni|date=September 2017}} *Red Badgro – former MLB player, St. Louis Browns<ref name="wells2014">{{cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Chris |title=Kent-Meridian shakes history, defeats Kentlake 37-9 |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/high-school/article25884103.html |access-date=June 10, 2024 |work=The News Tribune |date=September 26, 2014}}</ref> *Karl Best – former MLB player, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins<ref>{{cite news |title=Best boys were K-M foes' worst nightmare |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/flashback-best-boys-were-k-m-foes-worst-nightmare/ |access-date=June 10, 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=January 23, 2007}}</ref> *John Bronson – NFL football player, Arizona Cardinals<ref name="wells2014" /> *Morgan Christen – circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, appointed by Barack Obama<ref>{{cite web |editor-last1=Mullen |editor-first1=Suzanne |title=State of Alaska Official Election Pamphlet |url=https://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/oep/2004/2004_oep_reg_4.pdf#page=74 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |page=70 |date=2004}}</ref> *Robin Earl – former football player, Chicago Bears running back<ref name="wells2014" /> *Jeff Jaeger – former NFL kicker<ref name="wells2014" /> *Reggie Jones – former NFL cornerback<ref name="wells2014" /> *PZ Myers – blogger<ref>{{cite web |url=http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/07/my_week_in_the_pacific_northwe.php? |title=My week in the Pacific Northwest |publisher=ScienceBlogs |date=July 25, 2010 |access-date=September 6, 2025 |quote=Saturday at 5:00pm on I'll be attending…my 35th high school reunion with a gang of strange people I haven't seen in decades. You aren't invited unless you were also a graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, Class of 1975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727082730/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/07/my_week_in_the_pacific_northwe.php |archive-date=July 27, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> *Robert L. Phillips – author, entrepreneur and professor *Dave Reichert – congressman from Washington, former King County sheriff<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Steve |title=Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students |url=https://www.kentreporter.com/news/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Kent Reporter |date=April 25, 2024 |quote=Reichert, 73, who graduated in 1968 from Kent-Meridian, ...}}</ref> *Jaleen Roberts – track and field athlete<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ray |first1=Benjamin |title=Kent-Meridian grad Jaleen Roberts prepares for Paris |url=https://www.kentreporter.com/sports/kent-meridian-grad-jaleen-roberts-prepares-for-paris/ |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=Kent Reporter |date=July 31, 2024}}</ref> *John Taylor – reality television star, Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back *Kyle Townsend – Grammy and Academy nominee, record producer

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

== External links == *[https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/o/kmhs Kent-Meridian High School] *[http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?schoolId=1555&OrgType=4&reportLevel=School Washington State Report Card for Kent-Meridian]

Category:High schools in King County, Washington Category:Education in Kent, Washington Category:Educational institutions established in 1951 Category:South Puget Sound League Category:International Baccalaureate schools in Washington (state) Category:Public high schools in Washington (state) Category:1951 establishments in Washington (state)