Cristo Rey Transitioning into Franciscan High School

Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School is changing its name but not its mission of educating low-income children in north Baton Rouge.

School officials on Feb. 22 announced the school is not renewing its membership with the Cristo Rey network for the 2022-23 school year.  Additionally, it will be renamed Franciscan High School as the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady will retain its sponsorship.

“The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady are privileged to be the religious sponsor of the school and are proud of the many successes it has achieved. We look forward to continued support of this ministry,” said Sister Barbara Arceneaux OFM, Regional Minister. “We are grateful for Cristo Rey Network’s early formal support that has helped us bring this ministry forward. We move into the future with our community and work study partners and their generous investment in the lives of our students and their families.”

“It’s a big change and something that we are very excited about,” said Cristo Rey president Eric Engemann. “I think it will give an opportunity to take the Cristo Rey model that has been so effective and continue to improve and evolve it so that it fits best in the community.”

Engemann stressed the school will continue its innovative work study program and the college preparatory curriculum will also remain in place.

“As far as the student experience, nothing changes,” he said. “Everything we have stays in place. We will not be operating within the Cristo Rey network but will be operating as a private Catholic high school in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.”

“Moving forward, we are confident Franciscan High School will continue to provide this unique educational opportunity to students and families most in need in our community,” said Bishop Michael G. Duca.

Engemann said the decision to sever ties with Cristo Rey was mutual involving the school’s board and network officials. He noted the needs of the Cristo Rey Baton Rouge students differ slightly from the network’s overall standards.

“We had a choice to make if we wanted to continue to abide by the standards Cristo Rey has,” he said. “There is no bend in those, there is no ambiguity.

“Or we can continue to evolve and adopt what we have done for the last six years so that it best fits our community and our students.”

Engemann said the major concern with the Cristo Rey network was what he called outcomes for students and alumni. He said Franciscan High School clearly wants all of it students to have a college experience if that is what they want but pursing another avenue of higher education or another way of creating a new path for themselves, another vocation that does not require a four-year college degree is also a viable option.

“And that is the biggest point of contention,” Engemann said. “It’s the standard they have set for Cristo Rey schools, a measurement point that every Cristo Rey school is measured against, trying to get students to college.”

“It’s a worthwhile cause but we have to ask ourselves what is best for us and what is best for our students?” he added.  “And while the goal continues to be that we want every student to be prepared and equipped to go to college the question is do you really want to do that as a student? When you look at what interests you, your family situation, all of the different factors that go into these types of decisions, what is ultimately going to be in your best interest going forth?”

Engemann said there have been numerous discussions with the Cristo Rey network since November, including suggestions from his staff about perhaps piloting new approaches, trying something different. But that was not in keeping within Cristo Rey standards, hence the change.

“Everybody is on the same page and (Cristo Rey network officials) are helping us make the transition,” he said.

“It’s an interesting dynamic but (the change) gives us local control and this is what’s best for us,” Engemann said. “We can charter our own course.”

He said the school is in the early stages of a strenuous strategic planning process to determine the future. He said several avenues will be explored, including potentially adding different options in the work study program.

Engemann explained that in the modern workforce, especially in the current pandemic era, there are fewer clerical roles for the corporate work study program that Cristo Rey schools were built on 25 years ago. He remains adamant about every student experiencing the corporate environment but is equally committed to offering students other opportunities “to develop whether that’s traditional training or other opportunities to jump into other careers or job opportunities.”

“There are needs people have and how do we identify those needs with students, who is interested in what?” he said. “How can we plant those seeds and ask those questions? I think there are really a lot of interesting possibilities.”

Engemann said the public will notice no difference regarding the change other than the shift to Franciscan High School and a rebranding effort.

He said the seniors will graduate under the Cristo Rey banner in the spring.

Cristo Rey opened Aug. 5, 2016  at the site of the former Redemptorist High School.