Cristo Rey San Diego High School Inc

Our goal is for 100% of Cristo Rey San Diego students to be accepted at college, earn a college degree, work in a professional occupation upon college graduation, and to give back to their communities.

What makes Cristo Rey unique is its work-study program. Students work five days a month at a entry-level corporate job. The work not only offsets their tuition, but provides real-life work experience.

Companies pay the Cristo Rey Work Study Program $32,600 for a team of four students to share one full-time position. Cristo Rey transports the students to heir jobs, and is responsible for all taxes, insurance, and the like. While in school, we utilize a proprietary, standards-based college preparatory curriculum, that emphasizes life-long learning skills and critical thinking to ensure appropriate rigor and empower student success

From freshman year, Cristo Rey establishes a culture of high expectations by blending rigorous academic preparation, significant professional work experience through the Corporate Work Study Program, and support for students to and through college. This unique educational model has powerful formational impact on students—demystifying the world outside their neighborhoods, developing valuable workplace readiness skills, introducing them to inspirational role models and supportive mentors, and building the competence, confidence, and aspiration so important to college and career success.

Currently, 16 companies are providing the work-study jobs necessary for 100% of our students. We have a long-term lease on an old school, and six classrroms have been fully updated and are in use for the current school year. All students were provided a Chromebook, and were trained over the summer in essential work skills.

The school opened in August of 2020 with a founding freshman class of 60 students, and will add a grade level each year until full enrollment of over 400 students in grades 9-12. In the short term, we have begun student recruitment for the 2021-22 school year, as well as upgrading additional classrooms that will be needed for our second year of operation.