WAUKEGAN, Ill. (May 1, 2003)

Plans for a new Catholic college-preparatory high school in Waukegan, Ill., were announced today by Archdiocese of Chicago leaders.

The new St. Martin de Porres High School will be patterned after the national Cristo Rey model of high schools in which students participate in a corporate internship program to help defray the cost of tuition. The school will be located in leased space in a building at the corner of Genesee and Washington Streets in downtown Waukegan. It is scheduled to open in August 2004 with an estimated 160 freshman and sophomores; other classes will be added the following year.

"The new school will operate under the collaborative endorsement of four Roman Catholic religious orders; St. Mary's Parish, Lake Forest; and a committee of lay and religious volunteers who will comprise its Board of Trustees," said Most Rev. Jerome Listecki, auxiliary bishop, Archdiocese of Chicago. The four sponsoring religious orders are: the Clerics of
St. Viator; the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters; the Congregation of the Resurrection; and Society of the Holy Child Jesus, said Bishop Listecki.

"The mission of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools is to educate the minds and spirits of all young people," said Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich, superintendent of schools. "This new high school will fulfill that mission and provide affordable, quality, college-preparatory education to students who might otherwise not be able to attend a Catholic school."

"There is tremendous enthusiasm for the school and its mission within the local community," said the Rev. George Rassas, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lake Forest and interim co-chair of the Board of Trustees. "The collaboration between lay leaders, corporations participating in the internship program and sponsoring religious organizations has been very powerful in moving this project forward. We're indebted to the leaders of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School on the southwest side of Chicago for their support and guidance."

St. Martin de Porres High School's curriculum will combine college preparatory education with a corporate internship program designed to provide valuable life experiences for students, said Fr. Rassas. Students will attend classes four days a week and work one day a week at nearby sponsoring companies.

St. Martin de Porres joins a growing national network of schools modeled after Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago's Pilsen/Little Village neighborhood. This national association of high schools provides rigorous academics and Catholic education in urban populations where people are in need of affordable, college-preparatory secondary schools. Students are placed in business internships to help defray tuition costs and to gain work experience in professional environments. According to the Cristo Rey Network, the schools have high retention and graduation rates, with most students attending four-year colleges, many with the support of scholarships awarded for academic excellence.

St. Martin de Porres High School will incorporate five elements characteristic of the Cristo Rey model: the curriculum will be rigorous and college preparatory; the school will eventually serve up to 500 economically disadvantaged students; the school will have sponsoring Catholic religious organizations; students will work in a corporate internship program five days each month; and the school will embrace the cultural diversity of its students, according to
Dr. Wolsonovich.

Following comprehensive study of the feasibility of such a high school in the Waukegan area, the Cassin Educational Initiative Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif., awarded a major grant of $750,000 to provide start-up funding for the high school, according to the school's Board of Trustees. Funding through the Cassin Foundation will support the initial leasing of space, administrative salaries and expenses associated with development of the school's curriculum and innovative Corporate Internship Program, said Fr. Rassas.

Representatives of the four sponsoring religious orders, along with St. Mary's Parish, have endorsed the project and will support the new high school in a variety of ways, including the Board of Trustees' participation and assistance with specific school-related projects.

Parents of prospective students or companies interested in the Corporate Internship Program can call Katherine Caskey at 847-623-5500 for more information.