History
Thomas Starr King Middle School has been educating students from our neighborhood since 1926. Thirteen elementary schools, in communities as economically and culturally diverse as Franklin Hills, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Echo Park, and Hollywood, send students to our school. Our student body is as diverse as the communities from which it comes. An analysis of our school's ethnic make-up done in August of 2015 shows that our student body of over 2000 is 54.1% Hispanic, 22.1% White, 12.5% Asian, 6.4% Filipino, 3.4% African-American, 0.6% Native American and 0.2% Pacific Islander. They speak over thirty languages and come from more than forty different countries; some are newly arrived in this country, others are native born. Groups with strong cultural representation include Mexican, Central American, Armenian, Chinese, and more. Our students almost all qualify for the Federal Meal Program.
In 1995, Thomas Starr King Junior High School reconfigured to a 6th through 8th middle school. This brought about many changes, among them grade level houses, common planning periods, interdisciplinary instruction teams, and COREs. Our instructional programs are designed to both meet the required standards and provide supplemental or enriched education to students so identified. We have a schoolwide Title I School Program which not only addresses the reading and mathematics needs of identified Title I students, but allows the whole school to benefit from the programs. We also have a Master Plan Program which implements Proposition 227 to help meet the needs of the English Language Learners who make up almost half of our student body. Our Gifted and Talented Program provides to identified students a more challenging and enriched program above and beyond the core curriculum. We also provide a variety of Special Education program options to meet the needs of students with IEPs, in accordance with the Chanda Smith Consent Decree.
In 2013, Thomas Starr King converted into an all magnet school. We consist of a Gifted/High Ability Arts & Technology Magnet, an Environmental STEAM Magnet, and a Film & Media Magnet. There is a nurse who works for the school five days a week, as well as a guidance counselor for each magnet. We also carry a Magnet Coordinator, a Math Coach, a Title One Coordinator, a Tech Coordinator, and a School Psychologist. King maintains a library, gymnasium, auditorium, theater, a garden and art gallery. This year, our Internet was upgraded and every classroom, as well as our auditorium and library, have WiFi connection.
In 1995, Thomas Starr King Junior High School reconfigured to a 6th through 8th middle school. This brought about many changes, among them grade level houses, common planning periods, interdisciplinary instruction teams, and COREs. Our instructional programs are designed to both meet the required standards and provide supplemental or enriched education to students so identified. We have a schoolwide Title I School Program which not only addresses the reading and mathematics needs of identified Title I students, but allows the whole school to benefit from the programs. We also have a Master Plan Program which implements Proposition 227 to help meet the needs of the English Language Learners who make up almost half of our student body. Our Gifted and Talented Program provides to identified students a more challenging and enriched program above and beyond the core curriculum. We also provide a variety of Special Education program options to meet the needs of students with IEPs, in accordance with the Chanda Smith Consent Decree.
In 2013, Thomas Starr King converted into an all magnet school. We consist of a Gifted/High Ability Arts & Technology Magnet, an Environmental STEAM Magnet, and a Film & Media Magnet. There is a nurse who works for the school five days a week, as well as a guidance counselor for each magnet. We also carry a Magnet Coordinator, a Math Coach, a Title One Coordinator, a Tech Coordinator, and a School Psychologist. King maintains a library, gymnasium, auditorium, theater, a garden and art gallery. This year, our Internet was upgraded and every classroom, as well as our auditorium and library, have WiFi connection.