Kenmore Middle School, Kenmore WA

Original Research by School Decision on Kenmore Middle School

Kenmore Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Northshore School District, a regular public school in a largely residential suburb on the north shore of Lake Washington. The school sits in a community that functions as a bedroom suburb for commuters to Seattle, Bothell, and Redmond, while also maintaining its own economic base in durable goods, construction materials, and special trade contracting. Kenmore has a high homeownership rate and a high median household income, and the area has seen population growth and rising home values over the past decade. The school itself is a standard middle school, not a charter or magnet, and it serves a student body that is diverse in its composition.

The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and a notable Asian presence. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is moderate for the area. The school is part of the Northshore School District, which recently opened a new elementary school that shifted attendance boundaries for families in the northern part of the district, a change that may affect feeder patterns into Kenmore Middle School.

On state assessments, Kenmore Middle School's results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight cluster in the low to mid-sixties, meaning a majority of students met the state standard. In math, proficiency rates are lower, hovering around the half mark, with eighth-grade math slightly below that. Science, tested only in eighth grade, shows a proficiency rate in the mid-sixties. When compared to other districts in King County, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, indicating that its combined performance across tested subjects and grades is stronger than the median district in the county. This is a solid result for a middle school in a region with many high-performing districts.

The school's enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with a fairly even distribution across the three grade levels. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and a notable Asian population. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is relatively low compared to many schools statewide, reflecting the area's high median household income. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability of special education services and English language support.

Kenmore is a suburban community with a high homeownership rate and a median household income well above the national figure. Housing values in the area are high, and the local market has seen a modest decline in median listing prices recently, though the overall cost of entry remains steep. Rents are also high. The area has seen population growth over the past decade, and the Town Square development has added mixed-use buildings and a community center. The Northshore School District opened a new elementary school in 2021, which shifted attendance boundaries for families in the northern part of the district, a change that may affect which elementary schools feed into Kenmore Middle School.

The school is a regular public middle school with no special designation. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school's academic performance, as measured by state assessments, places it above the midpoint among districts in King County, a competitive region with many high-performing schools. For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of solid performance in English language arts and science, with math being a relative soft spot where about half of students meet the state standard. A parent may want to ask the school about math intervention and enrichment options. The community context is one of affluence and growth, with high housing costs and a suburban environment that offers access to Lake Washington, parks, and transit connections to Seattle and the Eastside tech hubs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 64% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 64% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 58% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 71% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 74% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 866%

School 66% · District 56% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 40% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

This schoolNorthshore School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income70%34 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income70%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income72%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income79%48 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income40%28 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income64%43 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income64%34 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income58%36 pp gap