At a glance
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| School type | Public neighborhood elementary, Mercer Island School District |
| Address / phone | 4030 86th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040 / 206-275-5800 |
| Grades | K–5 |
| Washington rank | #112 of 1,160 public elementary schools; state percentile 90.3 (SchoolDigger 2025) |
| Assigned by residence? | Yes; use the district boundary tool for the exact address |
| Nonresident entry | Elementary grades closed to new nonresident enrollment for 2026–27 |
| Feeder | Islander Middle → Mercer Island High |
Summary
Northwood is a relatively small north-island neighborhood school whose official profile gives unusual prominence to mindfulness, social-emotional learning, monthly character traits and cross-age community responsibility. Its 2025 rank is lower than the other three Mercer Island elementaries but remains around the top tenth statewide. That difference should prompt questions about grade-level patterns and growth, not a conclusion about kindergarten quality.
Enrollment, academics and programs
| Measure | Value | Source/year |
|---|---|---|
| Projected total enrollment | 357 FTE | MISD 2025–26 projection |
| Projected kindergarten enrollment | 54 FTE | MISD 2025–26 projection |
| Statewide rank | #112 / 1,160 | SchoolDigger 2025; third party |
- The school profile describes mindfulness and SEL, monthly traits such as honesty, empathy and perseverance, cross-age classroom buddies and student responsibility in shared spaces.
- MISD provides Primary Enrichment Services in grades 1–2 within the regular classroom. Grade 3–5 Code 32 service is also in-class; Code 33 students attend the centralized program at Lakeridge.
- District multilingual and special-education services are available. Confirm the kindergarten staffing model and specialist schedule directly.
Enrollment and timing
Kindergarten students must turn five by August 31 of the entry year. Families register at the home school determined by the district boundary map and provide two proofs of residency, age documentation and immunization records. For 2026–27, registration opened January 29, 2026 and all four elementary schools were closed to new nonresident enrollment. Recheck for the relevant entry year.
Fit considerations
Possible strengths: smaller projected enrollment, explicit mindfulness and SEL identity, cross-age community practices and strong statewide academics. Main concerns: lower current rank than the other Mercer Island schools, without evidence that the difference reflects K; later Code 33 placement moves identified students to Lakeridge. Next action: tour K and ask for grade-level growth and classroom-structure context.
Questions for the school
- How many kindergarten sections are planned, and what are the expected class sizes?
- What does mindfulness and SEL look like in a typical kindergarten week?
- How much choice, free play, recess and outdoor time is built into the day?
- What explains the recent grade 3–5 result pattern, and what is the improvement focus?
- What before/after-school care is available, and is there a waitlist?
Sources
- Northwood 2025–26 school profile — accessed 2026-09-11
- MISD kindergarten registration — accessed 2026-09-11
- MISD open enrollment / choice transfer — accessed 2026-09-11
- MISD Highly Capable services — accessed 2026-09-11
- MISD 2025–26 enrollment projection — accessed 2026-09-11
- SchoolDigger profile — accessed 2026-09-11
Change log
- 2026-09-11: Initial profile created.