Mercer Island · Licensed center
St. Monica Catholic School Early Learning Center
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- Small nature and outdoor center, licensed for 39 children.
- Ages on the license: 3 years to 6 years.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at all 4 of its licensing inspections since December 2023. It lists no valid complaint about this center.
Of the 239 Seattle-area centers with 4 licensing inspections, 29% had rules cited at all 4, as this center did. 7% had none cited.
Licensing inspections
Nov 19, 20253 citations
“The EpiPen medication for one child was stored without the required prescription label.”
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i)
“Both exit doors did not have a sound mechanism installed to alert when the door is opened.”
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(b)
“The cords forming a loop were accessible to children in both classrooms. Additionally, a long hose was observed on the ground outside, forming multiple loops.”
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(c)
Apr 10, 20252 citations
“The individual care plan for one child with an allergy was incomplete and did not include all required information.”
WAC 110-300-0186(1)
“Five slides were placed too close to each other, not meeting the 6-foot fall zone requirement. The 4-foot fall zone was measured between the climbing wall and black platform on one side. 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) - The chipped ground cover near the plastic slides measured less than 1 inch in some areas.”
WAC 110-300-0146(1), WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b)
Jan 4, 20242 citations
“Child NE has Non-prescription medication that is not labeled with child's name and missing medication authorization form.”
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii)
“Staff, MM, does not have child abuse and neglect training.”
WAC 110-300-0106(4)
Dec 7, 20235 citations
“Individual care plan don't have all the necessary information.”
WAC 110-300-0186(1)
“Child NE has Non-prescription medication that is not labeled with child's name and missing medication authorization form.”
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii)
“Baby gate placed in an emergency exit. Sign in table placed in front of the emergency exit door.”
WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c)
“Staff MM and BS have expired food worker's permits. Staff MM don't have Basic training after 4 months of employment and none of the 5 required health and safety trainings.”
WAC 110-300-0106(12), WAC 110-300-0106(4)
1 more from this inspection
“Monthly fire and quarterly emergency drills not performed as per WAC schedule. Staff not getting emergency preparedness training annually.”
WAC 110-300-0470(4)(a)
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- November 19, 2025
- On file
- 4 visits since December 2023 — all of them cited findings
- Most serious
- Serious —
The EpiPen medication for one child was stored without the required prescription label.
· November 19, 2025
Washington DCYF publishes the licensor’s own observation and a risk level for every citation it issues at a licensing visit, with the inspection report attached as a PDF.
Nov 2025 Licensing visit 3 findings
Licensing visit · November 19, 2025
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(b) · Short Term
Both exit doors did not have a sound mechanism installed to alert when the door is opened.
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i) · Serious
The EpiPen medication for one child was stored without the required prescription label.
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(c) · Short Term
The cords forming a loop were accessible to children in both classrooms. Additionally, a long hose was observed on the ground outside, forming multiple loops.
Apr 2025 Licensing visit 2 findings
Licensing visit · April 10, 2025
Food allergies and special dietary needs
WAC 110-300-0186(1) · Serious
The individual care plan for one child with an allergy was incomplete and did not include all required information.
Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space
WAC 110-300-0146(1) / 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) · Short Term / Serious
110-300-0146(1) - Five slides were placed too close to each other, not meeting the 6-foot fall zone requirement. The 4-foot fall zone was measured between the climbing wall and black platform on one side. 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) - The chipped ground cover near the plastic slides measured less than 1 inch in some areas.
Jan 2024 Licensing visit 2 findings
Licensing visit · January 4, 2024
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii) · Serious
Child NE has Non-prescription medication that is not labeled with child's name and missing medication authorization form.
WAC 110-300-0106(4) · Serious
Staff, MM, does not have child abuse and neglect training.
Dec 2023 Licensing visit 5 findings
Licensing visit · December 7, 2023
Food allergies and special dietary needs
WAC 110-300-0186(1) · Serious
Individual care plan don't have all the necessary information.
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii) · Serious
Child NE has Non-prescription medication that is not labeled with child's name and missing medication authorization form.
Emergency preparation and exiting
WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious
Baby gate placed in an emergency exit. Sign in table placed in front of the emergency exit door.
WAC 110-300-0106(12) / 110-300-0106(4) · Serious
Staff MM and BS have expired food worker's permits. Staff MM don't have Basic training after 4 months of employment and none of the 5 required health and safety trainings.
WAC 110-300-0470(4)(a) · Short Term
Monthly fire and quarterly emergency drills not performed as per WAC schedule. Staff not getting emergency preparedness training annually.
Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.
Openings, Working Connections subsidy, and ratios and staff aren’t on this page.
How they teach
Nature and outdoor, play-based and faith-based
“We are a child-directed program that gives our students 3 hours of free play time each day (2 indoor and 1 outdoor)”
What it costs
$1,050 a month for a preschooler
Seattle-area comparison hidden until they say whether this is a full-time price.
- Application fee
- $150
A day here
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 3:10 PM, 5 days a week
- Meals
- Families pack a lunch from home or order hot lunch; parents take turns providing a shared snack
- Outdoors
- Outside about an hour daily for recess in all weather, including a running recess before small-group academics
- Sleep
- Daily rest time or quiet reading after small group; a nap period is on the Wednesday schedule
- Updates for parents
- Monthly classroom calendar, phone or email with 24-48 hour response, daily parent mailbox cubbies, October parent-teacher conferences
- Schedule
- full-day, with early release (noon dismissal) option
Policies
- Enrollment
- Withdrawal requires written notice; tuition owed ranges from 40% to 100% depending on withdrawal date, and 100% of school fees are due at withdrawal
Details
- Website
- stmonicasea.org
- Address
- 4320 87th Ave SE
- License
- PL-14121, active
- Established
- 1960
Nearby
- Bright Horizons at Mercer IslandLarge center · 0.7 miLast state visit Aug 27, 2025 · nothing cited
- Country Village Day SchoolLarge center · 0.7 miLast state visit Aug 27, 2025 · 6 citations
- Schwartz Early Childhood School (Stroum JCC)Large center · 0.8 miLast state visit Jul 6, 2026 · 2 citations
- French American School of Puget SoundLarge center · 0.9 miLast state visit Sep 26, 2025 · 4 citations
- Early World MontessoriMedium center · 1.0 miLast state visit Jan 9, 2026 · nothing cited
- Creative Learning Center 2Small center · 1.4 miLast state visit Sep 26, 2025 · 1 citation
- Creative Learning Center MontessoriMedium center · 1.4 miLast state visit Sep 26, 2025 · 2 citations
Run St. Monica Catholic School Early Learning Center? Correct or add anything here, free.
Add what is missingSources and dates
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 stmonicasea.org/academics/early-learning-prek
- Approach — Checked August 2026 stmonicasea.org/academics
What it costs
- Preschool — Checked July 2026 stmonicasea.org
- Application fee — Checked September 2026 stmonicasea.org
State record
From Washington DCYF’s published reports, last checked October 10, 2026.
A day here
- Meals, Outdoors, Sleep, Updates for parents, Hours, Schedule — Checked September 2026 stmonicasea.org
Policies
- Enrollment — Checked September 2026 stmonicasea.org
Details
- Phone, Ages on the license — Checked September 2026 findchildcarewa.org
- Website — Checked July 2026 stmonicasea.org
- Address, License — Checked June 2026 data.wa.gov
- Established — Checked September 2026 stmonicasea.org
Small means the smallest quarter of Seattle-area’s 859 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 6 to 40 children. Medium is 41 to 114; large is 115 to 323.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.
Nearby
The other centers’ visit lines are from Washington DCYF’s published reports as Shortlist read them on October 10, 2026.