Cristo Rey High Struggles as Work-Study Jobs Dry Up
By Jennifer Garza - The Sacramento Bee - Tuesday, July 15, 2008
SACRAMENTO - Nearly three years ago, Lizet Aguilar stepped onto the campus of Cristo Rey High School in Sacramento with a knot in her stomach. She didn't want to enroll at the new school. It was too small, too religious and, she feared, too difficult.
Now, 17, Aguilar is preparing for her senior year, and she confidently talks about attending college after graduation. She will be the first in her family to do so.
She credits Cristo Rey's unusual academic approach – a combination of a college preparatory education and work experience.
"I've seen jobs in the real world and it's motivated me to keep going," she said.
Now the Sacramento school, which opened in 2006, is facing a critical challenge.
Cristo Rey relies on local employers for its programs. Students from low-income families work five days a month at entry-level jobs from filing to receptionist work. Their salaries pay about 80 percent of their tuition.
But this year, there aren't enough jobs.
"If we don't have more, the future of the school is at stake," said Ward Fansler, president of Cristo Rey High School Sacramento. "It's a serious situation."
School administrators say they are short 25 jobs, a $625,000 hit to the school's already strapped budget. Fansler says the business community has been supportive in the past, and he believes it will come through.
Employers say the economy has forced them to cut back.
"I can honestly say if business picks up, we'd re-enter the program," said Robbie Geremia of Geremia Pools, which hired Cristo Rey students for two years.
"We pulled out because the economy has turned upside down. We think very highly of the program. Unfortunately, this is the worst downturn we've seen in years."
In previous years, about 50 employers participated in the program. This year, several have dropped out or cut back on the number of student hires, citing the downturn in the economy. Meanwhile, the number of students enrolled at the school has increased.
"The change in the economy should have the opposite effect because it is a good value to hire our students," said Fansler. "It makes good business sense."
Employers who have hired Cristo Rey students applaud the program.
"These students have done very well and work hard," said Amy Johnston, communications specialist for Raley's, where the students have worked in a number of entry-level jobs, from filing to photocopying. "They get to see the ins and outs of the business … and we enjoy having them here."
Cristo Rey High School, which sits next to St. Peter Parish on McMahon Drive, is one of more than 20 Cristo Rey schools started by a Jesuit priest in Chicago. The goal is to give a Catholic college preparatory education to students who can't afford traditional Catholic high schools.
On average, families pay about $850 a year, according to Fansler. Tuition and fees at other local Catholic high schools run more than $10,000 a year.
Students, who wear business attire to school and work, gain work experience in the business world and the chance to see the importance of a college education. Employers get eager employees and the knowledge they're helping the community.
The school is the only opportunity many students get for a college prep education, and parents are trying to get the word out about the need for jobs.
"I'm aware of the job situation. I was unemployed for six months," said Helga Flores, who now works in data entry and has two children at the school. "I believe if more people knew about the school and their situation, they would help. I have a lot of hope."
So does Aguilar. She has performed clerical work for two different construction companies. Most of her friends are working in the fast food industry.
Once a struggling freshman who balked at the idea of attending the small Catholic school 15 miles from her Elk Grove home, Aguilar now says she thinks her parents made the right choice in Cristo Rey.
This summer, she is working in the office at Cristo Rey, answering phones and doing whatever else needs to be done. She hopes to work in an office again during the school year.
"We (students) have gotten so much out of it," she said.
About Cristo Rey High School
Cristo Rey High School, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and supported by Mercy Foundation, is a member of a national association of high schools that provide quality, Catholic college preparatory education to urban young people who live in communities with limites educational options.
For more information on how you can support Cristo Rey High School, e-mail
your questions to Mercy Foundation or call us at (916) 851-2700.
