| Kent-Meridian High School | |
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Achieving Excellence... Every Day!
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| Location | |
| Kent, Washington, United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Free public |
| Established | 1951 |
| School district | Kent School District |
| Principal | Dr. Wade Barringer |
| Faculty | 65 |
| Grades | 9th through 12th |
| Enrollment | more than 2,000 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and White |
| Mascot | Royals |
| Website | Kent-Meridian Homepage |
Kent-Meridian High School is a high school located in Kent, Washington and part of the Kent School District. Its principal is Dr. Wade Barringer.[1]
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.[2] The former Kent High School building became Kent Junior High School.[3]
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Kent-Meridian High School's athletic teams are known as the Royals. Teams compete at French Field located next to the school.
Dick Pruett coached Kent-Meridian wrestlers to astonishing success for 26 years (1966–1992). He compiled a dual match record of 298–72–7. His teams amassed 17 league titles and 14 Sub Regional Championships, were regional champs 10 times and produced three state championships, 2nd and 4 thirds, totaling 9 times placing in the top three in State. Individually Pruett's wrestlers claimed 80 League Champs, 62 regional champs, and 16 state champs (one of those being his son Joe, who took the 135 title in 1985.) Dick counts 63 wrestlers as state placers. Kent residents remember fondly the great leadership and consistent dominance of wrestlers under Coach Pruett.
Another legend of Kent-Meridian is the late Gunter Bohrmann who taught gymnastics, leading the boys gymnastics team to 12 regional titles, eight state titles and two national titles between 1969 and 1982. He became the coach of the Kent-Meridian girls gymnastics team in 1985 and led them to the state title. He retired in 2001 and there has been no boys gymnastics team since.
Kent-Meridian has enjoyed a swimming facility which was originally built as a part of King County Forward Thrust which is now owned by the city of Kent.
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. Kent-Meridian has the greatest number of victories over Auburn for the all-time record. The trophy was last won by Auburn in 2010 and is currently on display in Auburn's Gym Lobby. Kent-Meridian all-star DB/RB Kyle Reeves still holds the record for most tackles and interceptions in a Taylor Trophy championship match. In the Taylor musem is the Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket of Badgro, one of the highlights of the exhibit. Badgro was born in Kent and graduated in 1921 from Kent High. He retired in Kent and died in 1998 at the age of 95. They called him Red because of his red hair hair,[4] Kent-Meridian has the greatest number of victories over Auburn for the all-time record.
Kent-Meridian is the only Kent high school that provides the International Baccalaureate program. The IB program is recognized worldwide for providing 11th and 12 grade students with a challenging, college prep curriculum. The IB program is known for its rigor, authentic assessment design and international focus. Public and private schools around the world have adopted the IB curriculum and graduates from IB programs are highly valued by colleges and universities.
KM students who choose to become IB Diploma Candidates must successfully complete work and assessments in six academic areas during their junior/senior years. Additionally, students must write an extended essay, fulfill various service requirements and complete the Theory of Knowledge course. Students taking these courses can take the IB final exam and receive the IB certification, increasing their chance of admission to most colleges.
Kent-Meridian was involved in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union in 1997. Mark Iversen vs. Kent School District, et al., which alleged that a student at Kent-Meridian was repeatedly harassed for being gay. The suit was settled in 1999.[6]