BRIDGES Community Day High School

Capistrano Unified School District

Bridges Community Day High School was developed in response to two needs.  First, there has been a need in the district to establish a program that could provide interventions for emotionally disturbed students who otherwise would enter a Residential Treatment Center.  The second program need has been for students who have serious behavior/conduct disorders or may have entered into a stipulated expulsion agreement.  At the present time there are no community programs prepared to provide an educational program for students at the SDC level.  The Bridges Community Day High School programs is to be considered for students when all other interventions in the district have been considered/implemented.   

Bridges Community Day High School is located at

31576 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, CA. 92675

 just north of San Juan Elementary School

across from the Mission

and just south of the ROP facilities.

Bridges I – Teacher:  Teresa Breithaupt. 

Bridges I is the class that receives students who might otherwise require RTC placement as a result of emotional disturbance.  Tracy Grant, psychologist, is the gatekeeper for this program.  Any consideration of this program should begin by communicating with Tracy.  It is a small program designed for a maximum of 6-8 students and is located in a very small classroom.  Acceptance of a student is dependent upon safety and compatibility considerations as well as appropriateness of the emotional condition of the student.

Bridges II – Teacher:  Reem W. Khalaf 

Bridges II is designed to address the needs of special education students with complex behavior/conduct challenges.  Students may come to the program having been through the SARB process; however, all referrals to the Bridges II program must be staffed through the Executive Director, 6-12 Special Education Operations.

Bridges High School is a registered high school under the state’s Community Day School program.  This program requires that students are in attendance in the school 360 minutes per day.  The Bridges School class has two aides in the classrooms that are Hughes trained.   Many of the students receive Community Mental Health counseling. 

IEP documentation  must be complete prior to a student’s placement in Bridges School.  The referring school is responsible for holding the change of placement IEP.  

If you have questions please call Gerry Strickland at (949) 234-5302.

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 A bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle such as a canyon, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle

Teachers serve as a crucial emotional bridge for a student at times of loss.