Greenhills opens K–5 program at former Summers-Knoll site
Greenhills School is preparing to open a new lower school this fall in Ann Arbor after completing a yearlong transition of operations into the former Summers-Knoll building at 2203 Platt Road. School leaders say demand has been strong: as of early July, 110 students are registered for the 2026–27 school year, a figure that school officials describe as nearly double the final enrollment at Summers-Knoll.
Greenhills’ move follows its March 2025 announcement to take over the Summers-Knoll campus after the latter cited enrollment and financial challenges. The private independent school, which already serves grades 6–12 at its campus on 850 Greenhills Drive, will operate the K–5 program out of the Platt Road site beginning with the 2026–27 school year.
“We have 110 students registered for the 2026–67 school year, which is nearly double the enrollment at Summers-Knoll during its last year in the building, and more applications are coming in every day,” Head of School Peter Fayroian said in a message this month.
Staffing and program goals
Greenhills announced a founding lower school faculty this spring that includes 20 teachers and specialists. Of those staffers, six have prior Greenhills experience and five have worked with Ann Arbor Public Schools. School leaders report that, during the transition, both students and faculty from Summers-Knoll were evaluated for fit with the new program; as of early July, 42 of the 110 enrolled students and six teachers of the planned 29 staff members for 2026–27 had come from the former Summers-Knoll community.
- Current registered students for 2026–27: 110
- Target long-term capacity for K–5: about 200 students (two classrooms per grade, ~16 students per classroom)
- Founding lower school faculty: 20 teachers and specialists
Space limits and future plans
School leaders say the program is currently constrained by physical space in the Platt Road building, with plans to expand enrollment toward an eventual target of roughly 200 students once facility needs allow. The stated classroom model is two sections per grade (K–5) averaging about 16 students per classroom.
Greenhills administrators also noted that incoming elementary students come from a mix of local private, independent and public schools and include families newly relocating to the area. That mirrors broader enrollment shifts in Washtenaw County, where school choice, demographic change and family moves can affect both district and private-school populations.
Local implications
For families in Ann Arbor, the additional K–5 option at a familiar neighborhood campus offers another independent-school choice inside the city limits. For the Platt Road neighborhood, reactivating the Summers-Knoll site as a K–5 campus preserves a school use for the property and retains some staff and students from the former institution. For district and private peers, a sudden uptick in one school’s enrollment can influence wait lists, hiring needs and classroom composition across the community.
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| Registered students (2026–27) | 110 |
| Students from Summers-Knoll | 42 |
| Founding lower school faculty | 20 |
| Planned total staff (2026–27) | 29 |
| Long-term target enrollment | ~200 |
Ann Arbor families with questions about enrollment or wait lists should contact Greenhills directly or review the school’s published admissions materials. The opening of the lower school will add a new chapter to the city’s mix of public and independent education options as the 2026–27 school year begins.
