What you get that's hard to find nearby
- A teacher who keeps your child for two or three years. Four multi-grade classrooms, TK and K, grades 1 and 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 8, with one teacher each. How that works.
- Faith in the school day. Daily devotions, weekly chapel, religion as a daily subject, and a pastor on campus. Families don't need to be Lutheran.
- Results you can check. MAP Growth testing three times a year, with the school's averages published against national averages.
- A day that fits a job. School from 8:15 to 3:00, with Shepherd's Care from 7:00 a.m. and until 5:30 p.m. at $7.25 per hour, and hot lunch twice a week.
- Preschool through 8th grade in one place. One drop-off for the whole family, from age two and a half to the end of middle school.
- A price a Clairemont family can plan around. $9,500 a year for 2026-2027, with 15% off each additional child and need-based assistance. Every number is published.
Who the school serves
Our families come from Clairemont, Bay Park, Bay Ho, Linda Vista, Kearny Mesa, University City, Pacific Beach, Serra Mesa, and Mission Valley, with a steady share of military families stationed at MCAS Miramar and the Point Loma bases. Most live within a fifteen-minute drive. Many first came for the preschool.
Reformation and the zoned public school
Clairemont's public elementary schools and San Diego Unified's free transitional kindergarten are good options for many families, and we don't pretend otherwise. Families who choose Reformation instead usually want one of three things the public system isn't built to offer: a Christian education woven through the whole day, a classroom small enough that the teacher knows their child in the first week, or a teacher who stays with their child for more than a single year. If those matter to you, the price difference is the real question, and the tuition page answers it in full.
Reformation and other private schools
Among the private and parochial schools within a few miles, Reformation is the one operated by a Lutheran congregation, the one with multi-grade classrooms, and one of the few that publishes its test results and its full price. Its tuition sits well below most of them. What it doesn't have is a large campus or a long list of elective programs; what it has instead is four teachers, a pastor, and a Superintendent who can tell you something true about every student in the building.
Getting here
The campus is at 4670 Mt. Abernathy Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117, on the church property just off Balboa Avenue. Parking is in the church lot. Tours happen on school days; pick a time or call (858) 279-3311.
Questions from Clairemont families
What grades does Reformation serve?
Transitional kindergarten through 8th grade, plus a year-round preschool for ages two and a half to five, all at 4670 Mt. Abernathy Avenue.
How much does it cost?
Tuition is $9,500 a year for TK through 8th grade in 2026-2027, with a $50 application fee and a $300 enrollment fee. Scholarships of 4% for paying in full, 15% for each additional child, and 15% for church members are available, along with need-based tuition assistance.
Is before and after school care available?
Yes. Shepherd's Care runs from 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. and from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. on school days at $7.25 per hour, billed for the hours used.
Do we have to be Lutheran or attend church?
No. Families of many backgrounds enroll. Students take part in daily devotions, weekly chapel, and religion class, and families are asked to support the school's Christian character.
Can my child start in the middle of the school year?
Yes, when there's space in the classroom. Midyear enrollment is common, and the teacher handles placement so your child starts at the right level.