"If you can afford to go to another private school, then we probably won't admit you," said John McConnell, former board chair at St. Joseph's Preparatory School, who is president of the new school. "This is to create an opportunity for students who otherwise couldn't go to a good school."
The maximum family contribution will be $2,400 a year, but the school expects to collect $100 a month from most students. Benefactors and revenue from students' jobs will cover the remainder of the costs. Additional tuition assistance will be available for the neediest students.
"We will ask every family to make some kind of contribution," McConnell said. "No one will go for free."
Cristo Rey schools, which are in urban centers, are coeducational. They report that 99 percent of their graduates are accepted to college.
In 1996, a Jesuit priest opened Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, offering a blend of academics, corporate work experience, and extracurricular activities. Within a few years, proponents began opening other schools based on the Chicago model, and the Cristo Rey network was established.
Philadelphia's new school held an open house Saturday for prospective students. Even before that, 325 students had already requested applications. The school has said Jan. 27 is the deadline for applying for ninth-grade spots in 2012.
The school, McConnell said, is committed to creating a diverse student body.
Because students will work one day a week, the academic year will be longer. School will open Aug. 6 to prepare students for jobs that will begin in September.
"We start a month earlier than most," McConnell said. "We focus a lot on workplace skills - how to look someone in the eye; how to shake hands; how to tie a necktie."
