The school in a few sentences
Reformation Lutheran School is a private Christian school at 4670 Mt. Abernathy Avenue in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego. We teach transitional kindergarten through 8th grade in four multi-grade classrooms, and we run a year-round preschool for children from two and a half to five on the same campus. The school is operated by Reformation Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), and it has been nationally accredited by WELSSA, the WELS School Accreditation body, since 2008.
A school this size works differently from a large one, and we think that's the point. The Superintendent gives the tours herself. The pastor teaches catechism to the seventh and eighth graders. Each teacher keeps the same students for two or three years. When the whole school gathers for chapel on a weekday morning, the eighth graders are sitting a few pews from the kindergartners they hold the door for.
What we're committed to
Our mission statement is short: Reformation Lutheran School is committed to providing Christian education characterized by academic excellence, Christian values, and a family atmosphere for students, staff, parents, and families. Each of those three phrases means something specific here.
Academic excellence
All subjects are taught in the light of God's Word. Classroom instruction is guided by research and best practice, and student outcome data informs what teachers do next. The faculty works as a professional learning community, and small class sizes make it possible to differentiate instruction for the range of abilities within each grade and each room.
Christian values
The Gospel is the beating heart of everything we do. Students and teachers begin the day with devotions and worship together at weekly chapel. Teachers find daily opportunities to illustrate Christian living, lead age-appropriate discussions of current events through the lens of Christian ethics, and recognize students and staff when they demonstrate those values.
A family atmosphere
Parents are partners in their child's education, welcome in the classroom and on campus, and invited to help with school programs. Relationships between students and teachers are guided by a model of respect, repentance, and forgiveness. Classrooms are safe, respectful, and accountable to rules the class defines together.
The church behind the school
Reformation Lutheran Church has reached out to the people of this community with God's Word since 1970, and the school is the instrument the congregation uses to carry out that mission for children. Members of the congregation support the school financially, which is part of why tuition here sits well below most private schools in San Diego. You can learn more about the congregation at reformationsandiego.org, and about what the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod teaches at wels.net.
Accreditation and recognition
- Nationally accredited by WELSSA, the WELS School Accreditation body, since 2008
- Designated a California Purple Star School by the California Department of Education for its support of military-connected families
- Curriculum that meets or exceeds the State of California's educational standards, taught by WELS certified teachers with degrees in elementary education
- NWEA MAP Growth assessments three times a year, with results shared with families
Come and see it
Everything on this page is easier to understand in person. A tour takes about an hour on a school day, and you'll meet the Superintendent, see the classrooms with students in them, and leave with an information folder. Pick a time here, or call the office at (858) 279-3311.