Pixie Hill Preschool searching for new home on Mercer Island

Published 5:15 pm Thursday, August 21, 2025

Pixie Hill Preschool Director Ashley Good said that she and others at the longtime Mercer Island nonprofit are experiencing sadness as of late, but they are also hopeful for what the future will bring.

The beloved, indoor/outdoor play-based school that has resided on the Island for the last 68 years is now searching for a new Island home as the current lease on its property at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will expire on June 30, 2026.

Pixie Hill will remain open at its current location for this upcoming school year.

Good said the church leadership is also sad that it has chosen to sell the property where Pixie Hill has operated for the last 13 years. Holy Trinity verbally informed Pixie Hill of its intention in May of this year and sent a written notice to the school in late June.

“We have cherished our relationship with Pixie Hill since 2012. The reality is that the facility is old. The building requires a great deal of capital investment over the next several years to simply maintain the structure, let alone make upgrades,” said Janet Piehl, president of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. “Holy Trinity believes the time is right to sell the property to continue our mission to serve our congregation as well as the Mercer Island community and beyond.”

In a press release sent to the Reporter on Aug. 19, Holy Trinity said that it’s a difficult decision to sell the property and it will continue to support Pixie Hill through its transition. Holy Trinity praised Pixie Hill for running a wonderful school and the church loves having them as neighbors. The church is located at 8501 SE 40th St. and the adjacent Pixie Hill property sits at 4025 86th Ave. SE.

During Pixie Hill’s stay near Holy Trinity, the church has charged the school below-market rent, according to the press release. Holy Trinity adds that under the terms of the lease, it has given the school one year’s notice to ensure ample transition time.

“The place that we’re in now, the building space is just a pretty magical location because we’re in that old house. So it feels very cozy and home-like and the yard is amazing,” Good said.

While it will be sad to leave the space after the upcoming school year, Good said the Pixie Hill community is excited about what locations might be on the Island to become its new home. A new space will be the school’s fourth Island home during its existence.

“We’ve met with a couple different parties and I think we will find a space. It’s going to be hard to match where we are now because it’s just really great for us and what we can reasonably afford and all of that. I am hopeful that we’ll find a space and on Mercer Island. That’s really a big focus,” Good added.

Pixie Hill Board President Katie Kratzer wants to set the record straight for people that the school is not closing — it is just searching for a new location.

“We’re still open and we’re still going to stay open and we’re going to find a solution. We have a smaller group of our board that are actively working as like a subcommittee to help usher things along and reach out to other possibilities,” Kratzer said.

Folks at Pixie Hill are asking locals for any leads on Island locations and for donations to help fund the move, according to the school, which lists its vision as “inspiring a love of learning and nature in a warm, community-rooted preschool where relationships flourish beyond kindergarten.”

Kratzer said they hope to have a lease signed for a new location by the end of 2025 so they know where they’ll be situated before opening enrollment for the following school year. Pixie Hill is actively searching for a spot to rent or purchase with roughly 1,500 square feet that includes an outdoor play area, ideally with a tree canopy.

“Something that really sets Pixie Hill apart is their outdoor play area. It’s under a canopy of established trees. Not only does it create a wonderful place for children to play, but also layers in elements of learning throughout the seasons,” Kratzer said.

She added that the teachers and the school community are keys to Pixie Hill’s success, including the value on nature, outdoor play and creating space for people to come together.

This year will be Good’s third as Pixie Hill director and sixth as a teacher at the preschool. The former elementary school instructor said that Pixie Hill is a “pretty sweet little spot” that she fell in love with when she began teaching there and was close to her son in the class next door. She adores the Pixie Hill vibe and the other teachers on campus.

“I like the really close-knit feel and the fact that we get to really have fun playing with the kids. We can focus on some academic things and obviously preparing them for kindergarten, but also do a lot of fun activities and a lot of outdoor time,” Good said.

Pixie Hill Board Vice President Caitlin McHugh knows what it’s like to be a kid and adult in the preschool’s realm. McHugh and her three siblings all attended Pixie Hill and her daughter, Lourdes Renz McHugh, also experienced her early learning at the school. Lourdes, now 6, will be a first-grader at West Mercer Elementary this year.

“I have vivid memory of, we would all be lined up there on a little bench, like right where kind of the drive-through now is at the community center with the teachers there,” said Caitlin, adding that it was a fun, full-circle moment to have Lourdes attend Pixie Hill as well.

Pixie Hill has been a big part of Caitlin’s family and has helped everyone grow, nurture and feel part of a community. She’s excited and hopeful that Pixie Hill, too, can experience growth on its latest journey.

Holy Trinity discussed in the press release how it has connected with the local communities in myriad ways.

“Holy Trinity is blessed to partner with local organizations on Mercer Island and the greater Eastside. We provide meeting space, volunteers, monetary support, and ongoing prayers. We have supported many of these groups for decades,” the release notes. “These organizations include Mercer Island Children, Youth and Family Services; Al-Anon; Mercer Island Farmer’s Market; rental assistance for Mercer Island folks facing homelessness; Habitat for Humanity; Wellspring Family Services; Community Loaves hub; Emergency Feeding hub; Girl Scouts; National Charity League; National League of Young Men; City of Hope cancer support group; Bellevue Chamber Chorus and more.”

For more information, visit: https://www.pixiehillpreschool.com/nonprofit