Riley/New Dawn

5650 Mt. Ackerly Dr.
San Diego, CA 92111

riley.sandiegounified.org/

135 Students

Other K - 12th

School Overview

Riley/New Dawn, located in the Serra Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, is a specialized educational facility operating under the San Diego Unified School District. The school is specifically designed to support students with significant emotional and behavioral challenges who require a more structured and supportive environment than a traditional comprehensive school can offer. The program focuses on providing therapeutic support alongside academic instruction, aiming to help students develop the social-emotional skills necessary to succeed in their educational journey and personal lives.

The school emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating small class sizes, individualized education plans (IEPs), and a strong emphasis on mental health services. By fostering a nurturing and highly supervised campus culture, Riley/New Dawn works to reduce behavioral barriers to learning, helping students regain their academic footing. The school’s mission is rooted in the belief that every student deserves a safe, inclusive space to learn, ultimately striving to transition students back to less restrictive environments whenever appropriate.

135

Total Students

20.8

Full-Time Teachers

6.5

Student/Teacher Ratio

88.1%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Riley/New Dawn
Demographic	Student Count
White	29
Hispanic	64
Black	21
Asian	2
Two or More	19

Hispanic
64 (47.4 %)
White
29 (21.5 %)
Black
21 (15.6 %)
Two or More
19 (14.1 %)
Asian
2 (1.5 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Other
School Type:	Special Education School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	San Diego Unified
Phone:	(858)302-3340
Website:	http://riley.sandiegounified.org/
Grade Range:	K - 12th
Total Students:	135
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	20.8
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	6.5
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	107
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	12

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 1 1

Grade 2 7

Grade 3 5

Grade 4 11

Grade 5 12

Grade 6 12

Grade 7 12

Grade 8 10

Grade 9 10

Grade 10 17

Grade 11 24