Dyslexia is the term used to describe specific learning disabilities in reading, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Some famous people who are dyslexic include Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and the late Steve Jobs.

The New Community School is one of two private schools in Richmond that serve students with dyslexia. Riverside School, at 2110 McRae Road, is K-8, while New Community is middle to high school-age students.

A total of 180 students attend New Community, near the Richmond-Henrico County line, broken down fairly evenly between grades 5-8 (85) and 9-12 (95). The school has nearly doubled in size over the past six years and has grown to nearly eight times the size from its 1974 inception.

Officials at New Community cite growing awareness for dyslexia as part of the reason for its rapid rise in enrollment, but also note that the entire school serves dyslexic students while dyslexic students in public schools are intertwined with students without the challenges.

Nancy Foy, the head of school at New Community, said school administrators knew they needed more space because of the growth.

“At our core, we’re who we’ve always been, but now we have more space that allows us to add more programs,” she said.