Lydian Academy Menlo Park Campus

Adjacent to downtown Menlo Park, Lydian Academy’s legacy campus is where our student-focused one-on-one learning school began. Created by Rhonda Racine for students who were not thriving in a traditional educational setting, Lydian has become the go-to resource for students with health challenges, different learning styles, and 2e or gifted learners.

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When I was in kindergarten and someone asked me what I wanted to be, I immediately said, “teacher!” I knew I wanted to become a teacher because of the life-changing impact an amazing teacher had on me. She believed in me when I could not believe in myself, and I felt special and capable when she took me under her wing.

When I first came to Lydian Menlo Park in 2011, I taught English/History and Spanish and was working on my credential. I thought this would be a stepping stone on my way to the classroom. I thought, “This is innovative. Is this real? Does it work?” Although I earned that credential years ago, little did I realize that I would find my classroom and my home here at Lydian.

What has kept me here so long? In my 20 years of working in the field of education, I have never found a place to be so inspiring. The Lydian community is made up of educators who are collaborative, warm, and passionate about teaching, and whose north star is championing the success of ALL students. This is a strengths-based community of neurodiverse students, where young people are encouraged to learn about themselves, self-advocate for what they need, and use this awareness to overcome barriers to learning that have historically stifled them. This is a place where transformation occurs on a daily basis in that relational space between teacher and student, and where we are all invited to re-discover the love of learning in spite of prior setbacks and adversity.

As a teacher at Lydian, I experienced the countless rewards of walking side-by-side with my students as a guide along their journey. As the Campus Director, I am now fortunate to take that a step further by working not only with our students, but with the families and teachers who continue to shape the way we all see and experience education – as a gift and a joy.

Many years ago, I found my home at Lydian, and I look forward to many more years of meeting and working with students, teachers, and parents like you.

Welcome to Lydian!

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Near Santa Cruz Avenue, our legacy campus is perfectly situated between the bestbistros, bookstores, and local Lydian’s Menlo Park location is within walking distance of Caltrain.

Atherton, Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Mountain View are all within a 20-minute drive of our legacy campus on the historic El Camino Real in Northern California.

Steps away from Lydian, this 9-acre recreation area features a pool, tennis courts, gymnastics center, and a 15,000-square-foot state-of-the-art skate park. A perfect after-school hangout for our 6th-12th grade students.

Lydian Academy Menlo Park

815 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, California 94025
Tel: 650.321.0550

School Hours
Monday, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM