Cristo Rey changing name

Seeds for an innovative educational approach unlike anything seen in Baton Rouge at the time were planted on a steamy August night in 2014.

More than 60 community leaders had gathered in the Westerfield Center on the campus of the Catholic Life Center to learn about the Cristo Rey model of schools, where students from low-income families who are traditionally two-grade levels behind their peers work one day a week at a white-collar job to help defray the cost of tuition and also to introduce them to the corporate world. 

Although the idea was met with some skepticism, overall the business community bought into the concept, which was critical to Cristo Rey’s success, and less than two years later those same leaders gathered with Bishop Emeritus Robert W. Muench to cut the ribbon on the new school, which was located at site of the old Redemptorist High School. 

“I think everybody sees the value it has brought to so many young people in the community and the potential it has,” Cristo Rey president Eric Engelmann said.

But now the school has come full circle, announcing Feb. 22 it is not renewing its membership with the Cristo Rey network effective at the end of the current school year. Additionally, it is being 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 FMOL, 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.” 

Engemann said schools officials excited about the change, saying it presents an opportunity to improve on the Cristo  Rey model to best fit the needs of the community.

“As far as the student experience, nothing changes. 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,” he said, adding the signature corporate work study program and college preparation curriculum will remain in place. 

“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, explaining 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 most significant divergence 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 also added that pursuing 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 numerous discussions have been held with the Cristo Rey network since November, including suggestions 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. We can charter our own course.”

He said the school is in the early stages of a strategic planning process to determine its future. He said several avenues will be explored, including potentially blending in new and different options to 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 25 years helped build the Cristo Rey schools. 

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 opportunities to jump into other careers.

“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. 

Engemann said Cristo Rey’s lasting legacy in Baton Rouge will be bringing the corporate work model to the city. 

“Now, after we have had a chance to see it work for some time we are going to take this opportunity to take the next step and work with our community, our corporate work partners, supports and take all of that generous investment people have made and continue to improve the lives of our students,” he said.

Engemann also praised the efforts of the Franciscans, saying without their support the school would not be the success it has become. 

“We are just blessed to have them as part of our school community,” Engemann said. “They are  really the backbone of what we are doing here, the Franciscan ideal that we try to do each and every day here that are so important to our school community.

“They see it as an important part of their ministry in this area.”

Seniors will graduate under the Cristo Rey banner in the spring.