King Middle School

Our mission: To awaken our students to the possibilities around them, as leaders in their own learning. To instill a sense of wonder and personal agency that can only be achieved through the exploration of real-world challenges and their potential solutions. To accept students as they are, and in so doing, encourage them to discover their best selves.

One of three public middle schools in Portland, King Middle School (KMS) has a rigorous curriculum that promotes a high level of student engagement through real-world learning. It has strong fieldwork and service components. King Middle School is dedicated to creating a school where all students succeed at a high level. We serve the most racially, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhoods in the state of Maine. In our student body of approximately 480 students, more than 21 primary languages are spoken, with students coming from 17 countries. In our school-wide Expeditionary Learning model, students engage in eight to twelve week experiential learning expeditions. These in-depth and interdisciplinary expeditions require students to engage in sophisticated research, engage with the community in authentic ways, and present their findings in high-quality products presented to real audiences.