Mercer Island, an island community located at the southern end of Lake Washington and 10 minutes from Seattle, is joined to the city of Seattle by the Interstate 90 floating bridge and to the City of Bellevue by the east channel bridge. The City of Mercer Island serves primarily as a residential area for approximately 24,000 people, most of whom are employed in professional and managerial positions in Seattle and the surrounding areas.

The Mercer Island School District, with a K-12 student population of approximately 4,500, enjoys a widespread reputation for quality and excellence, combining academics, cultural expression, and athletic achievement. This tradition of excellence is a major reason many families make Mercer Island their home. Achievement test scores at the elementary, middle, and high school levels are consistently the highest in the state. The district maintains a graduation rate of over 95 percent.