We recently learned about a new high school opening in Charleston next year that will be focused on preparing kids for college who come from families of limited economic means. And this school is part of a national network of Catholic college-preparatory schools. Mike Switzer interviews Joanna Wusinich, president and CEO of the Cristo Rey Charleston High School in North Charleston, SC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Switzer: Hello and welcome to another edition of the South Carolina Business Review. This is Mike Switzer. We recently learned about a new high school opening in Charleston next year that will be focused on preparing kids for college who come from families of limited economic means. And this school is part of a national network of Catholic college preparatory schools. Joanna Wusinich is president and CEO of the Cristo Rey Charleston High School and she's on the phone now from her office in North Charleston. Joanna, welcome to the program.
Wusinich: Thank you for having me.
Switzer: So tell us about this new school and how it came to be.
Wusinich: So, Cristo Rey Charleston High School is a brand new school that's going to be located in North Charleston. We open next school year and we're going to be serving 9th through 12th graders across the tri county area. And Cristo Rey schools, they operate a bit differently, they're funded a bit differently, and this will actually be the 42nd Cristo Rey model school in the United States. What makes them distinctive is that we are private college prep schools that exclusively serve families with limited financial means. And the way that we make our tuition affordable is that we have this really unique partnership with the business community. And our students have professional paid internships one day a week, every week, all four years of their high school experience that ultimately offset the cost of a private education. But more importantly, they make it possible for our students to really start to get a vision for a career and learn professional skills, both hard and soft skills, and also build what will be a really powerful network of professionals that ultimately become lifelong mentors for our students.
Switzer: And so how did Charleston come to be the 42nd location, for one of these schools?
Wusinich: There were some community members that had heard about Cristo Rey and, and reached out to what's called the Cristo Rey network to ask the question, you know, we really like this model. We think there's a need for it in the Charleston, greater Charleston area. And how would we go about getting a Cristo Ray school here? And when it comes to looking at opening up creased our race schools, we do what's called a feasibility study. And that is an intense year long analysis of whether or not one, there's a need for a creased arrow race school in that market, two, that families and students would be interested in this model. And then three, is it going to be financially sustainable because we offset really the cost of tuition via philanthropy and also via this business partnership program. And so we did that study beginning, in 2024 and we found that the answer was yes to all of those questions. We were able to secure our first crew of inaugural businesses. So there are 25 companies here in the greater Charleston area that have already committed to providing our students with real, meaningful work. Also, we've assembled a really generous group of investors that want to bring this education opportunity to Charleston.
Switzer: So does that mean a new school has to be built or are you taking over an existing building?
Wusinich: A little bit of both. We have partnered with a, tremendous nonprofit named Metanoia in the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood, who owns what was formerly an elementary school, Old Chicora Elementary School, that has been vacant. And so we are in the process, in partnership with Metanoya, of renovating the full 58,000 square foot building. And we broke ground on that project in January.
Switzer: Being a part of a national Catholic network, does this mean there will be religious instruction?
Wusinich: Yes. So Cristo Rey schools are Catholic schools for students of all faiths. And part of that involves having. We have four years of theology classes. we also have annual retreats and retreat programming and campus ministry programming that, we offer students and to faculty and staff.
Switzer: Welcoming students from all faiths then. And these theology classes would be covering world religions?
Wusinich: We will have some exposure to world religions, and it will be an opportunity to kind of get an understanding of Catholic values and traditions, but also think critically about their role in the world and their role as community members of the Cristo Rey community and also of the larger community outside the walls of Cristo Rey.
Switzer: Well, Joanna, thank you so much for spending time with us today.
Wusinich: Thank you. Appreciate the opportunity.
Switzer: Joanna Wusinich is president and CEO of the new Christo Rey Charleston High School. Coming to North Charleston next year. We will have a link to the school posted at our webpage so you can learn more. South Carolina Publicradio.org with the South Carolina Business Review. This is Mike Switzer.
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