Kent-Meridian High School

Infobox US school
name = Kent-Meridian High School

| image caption = Front View
motto = "Achieving Excellence... Every Day!"
established = 1951
type = Free public
district = Kent School District
grades = 9^th through 12^th
principal = Dr. Wade Barringer
city = Kent
state = Washington
country = USA
campus type = Suburban
campus size =
enrollment = 1,951
faculty = 65
mascot = Royals
mascot

colors = Royal Blue and White
homepage = [http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/KM/ 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. [ [http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?schoolId=1555&OrgType=4&reportLevel=School Report Card] from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Retrieved July 12, 2006.]

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. [ [http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/vtours/kent/written/kent_histc2PRG.html "Period of Rapid Growth (1950-Today)"] "Kent History: A Virtual Tour of Kent, Washington" Retrieved July 12, 2006.] The former Kent High School building became Kent Junior High School. [Slater, Marcia. [http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/community/history/ "Curriculum Management Audit:History of Kent School District] December 1998. Retrieved July 12, 2006.]

Athletics

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, 14 Sub Regional Championships, were Regional Champs 10 times and produced 3 State Championships, 2nd and 4 thirds, totaling 9 times placing in the top 3 in State. Individually Dick'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 in 1985 and lead 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.

Taylor Trophy—Football trophy given/kept to/by the winner of the yearly football rivalry between Auburn Senior High School and Kent-Meridian High School dating back to 1908. Dr. Owen Taylor created the trophy presentation in 1929. The rivalry is rumored to be the second oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. The trophy has been won by Auburn High School lately and is currently on display in the schools' Gym Lobby.

French Field

The field hosts the home games for the King County Jaguars, a semi-professional football team in the Minor League Football Association and the Royals, Kentridge High School Chargers, Kentwood High School Conquerors, and Kentlake High School Falcons football, track, and soccer games.

I.B. Program

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.

Notable alumni

* Jack Halbrook Elder (class of 1959), represented the United States in the luge competition at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan [ [http://recdb.jiss.naash.go.jp/jsp-examples/list_athlete.jsp?name=J.%20ELDER/F.%20JONES JISS Olympic Result Database] Retrieved July 12, 2006.]
* Rebecca Lee Pozzi, Miss Washington 1972 [ [http://www.geocities.com/missusamagicf/MA1973Delegates.html "Miss America 1973 Delegates"] Miss USA Magic. Retrieved July 12, 2006.]
*Dave Reichert, Congressman from Washington [Longoria, Ruth. [http://www.mi-reporter.com/sited/story/html/260809 "Reichert to seek reelection"] "Mercer Island Reporter" July 6, 2006. Retrieved July 12, 2006.]
* Former Seattle Mariner Karl Best (class of '77) [ [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=bestka01 "Karl Best Stats"] ] .
*Tamara Danielsson (nee Schultz), class of '79. She is a notable Jazz musician and has taught applied saxophone at USF, is currently on staff as an instructor at Rollins College in Orlando, Florida and is a Jazz Musician for the Rich Mattheson foundation. [ [http://www.tamaradanielsson.com/ "Tamara's Website"] ]
* Jeff Jaeger of the Oakland Raiders [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2002638627_flashback22.html "Prep Flashback: Jeff Jaeger, Kent-Meridian, Class of 1983," Seattle Times, November 2, 2005] ]
*John Bronson of the Arizona Cardinals [ [http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/04/04-25-03cm/04-25-03dsports-04.asp "Out of the shadows," The Daily Collegian, April 25, 2003] ]
* Robin Earl of the Chicago Bears [ [http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20031202&slug=flashback02 "Flashback: Robin Earl Kent-Meridian, Class of 1973," Seattle Times, December 2, 2003] ]
*Jennifer Le, Miss Vietnam Global 2007 [ [http://www.nwasianweekly.com/200726033/pageant20072633.htm "Kent Teen Wins Int'l Crown," Northwest Asian Weekly, August 11, 2007] ]

Lawsuits

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. [ [http://www.aclu-wa.org/detail.cfm?id=174 Settlement Reached in Harassment of Gay Student] from the ACLU January 1, 1999. Retrieved July 12, 2006.]

The NAACP filed a $10 million claim in 2005 against the Kent School District, alleging discrimination against three black students by security officers at schools in the district including one at Kent-Meridian. The officers were accused of rough handling of black students.The lawsuit was dismissed.

References

External links

* [http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/KM/ 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]