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New South Bay School Requires Students To Work While Enrolled

SAN JOSE (KCBS) – A new high school is preparing to open in San Jose, where every student is required to get a job in the real world while they are attending classes.

The new Cristo Rey San Jose High School is scheduled to open next fall. The schools are run by the Chicago-based Cristo Rey Network, which requires that students attend classes four days a week and then on Friday, they go to work.

New South Bay High Gives Students Real World Experience

Student Alex Macias was recently featured on CBS' "60 Minutes."

"It surpasses that we're Hispanic, it surpasses that we're 16, 17 and 14 and says here, go into the corporate world," Macias said. "You're destined to work in these big buildings and who knows, maybe you'll be CEO one day."

The new San Jose campus will target low-income and minority students.

San Jose City Councilman Sam Liccardo said several local employers have signed on for the program.

"Wells Fargo, Valley Medical Center came through in a big way," he said. "And even some tech employers like HP came forward. We've got a good assortment of jobs."

The wages from those jobs will help pay for tuition, which is about $10,000 a year, but is often subsidized with grants and donations.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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