History
 /  History

About Us

The Woodcrest Christian School System was originally founded as Riverside Christian Day School in 1948 for the purpose of offering a Christ-centered education to help families produce happy, well-educated, Godly young people.

The School was started through the cooperative efforts of Christian educators and Christian parents who held to the firm conviction that the Living God and His Eternal Word, the Bible, deserve a central place in education. A two-story house on Tenth Street in downtown Riverside was used as a school facility to accommodate 28 students in the first year. A move to a renovated studio building on Sunnyside Drive was required for the second year as the School continued to grow. Construction of the Riverside campus on the Arlington Avenue site was begun shortly thereafter. The two existing classroom wings and the rotunda building were completed by 1965, which provided ample space for the growing student body.

WCSS Founder

Founder, Mrs. Matilda Randall teaching shop class in 1962.
Founder, Mrs. Matilda Randall teaching shop class in 1962.

The Riverside campus houses two to three classes per grade level in kindergarten through 6th grade. The steady growth of the school has provided a stability in its spiritual, educational, and operational dimensions. In 1970, when the development of higher grades was needed, a land search began which culminated in the purchase of an additional campus site in Woodcrest.

The Woodcrest Christian campus was opened in 1973 with grades 7 and 8. The school then added one grade each year and graduated the first senior high school class in 1978. The Woodcrest campus has developed strong middle school and senior high school college-prep programs ministering to students in grades 7-12.

In recent years, Woodcrest Christian School has experienced the blessings of increased enrollment, curriculum development, athletic program expansion, and the thrill of new building construction. There is adequate space on the Woodcrest campus for further development as God directs and provides.

Woodcrest Christian School is the name for our two-campus system which now provides an educational ministry to a student body of over 1,200 students. This ministry begins with a full-day Transitional Kindergarten and builds sequentially through senior high school. We are very thankful and must attribute such forward motion to God’s special handiwork. This program of Christ-centered Academics is being used by God to help students manifest Christ-like character and Godly wisdom for college entrance and for meaningful life ministry.

Elementary School

Woodcrest Christian Day School
3612 Arlington Ave
Riverside, CA 92506

(951) 686-1818

Office Hours:
M-F: 7:45am - 3:45pm

Middle & High School

Woodcrest Christian School
18401 Van Buren Blvd
Riverside, CA 92508

(951) 780-2010

Office Hours:
M-F: 8:00am - 3:30pm

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Glorify God by Pursuing Excellence
in Christ-centered Academics
COPYRIGHT 2017-2024 WOODCREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM // ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
Woodcrest Christian admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.