Back-to-school fun for Cristo Rey Philadelphia students

LOGAN (WPVI) -- It was hardly your run-of-the-mill first day of school at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School.

Strobe lights, dance music and even a step-and-repeat. They don't call it back to school, they call it signing day.

Cristo Rey Philadelphia's 470 students were on hand at the school on North Broad Street as they were drafted by more than 90 area businesses.

They even got swag from their new employer - kind of like a jersey.

Each one is called up one at a time, with cheers from their peers and teachers.

It's all part of the college prep experience. Yes, there's classroom time, teachers, books and homework, just like any other high school. But there's also real-world job experience.

"Every student in this school goes to school four days a week and they go to a job one day a week, and the money they get paid comes back to the school for the cost of their education," said Founder and President John McConnell, Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School.

"This school - the teachers and the staff - they actually care about us," said Kimora Cuffy, junior. "It's exciting to get out of classroom and to actually get real-life experience, how it is in the corporate world."

The students work at banks, law firms, hospitals and other local businesses that partner with Cristo Rey.

The school also boasts a 100 percent college acceptance and attendance rate for its students.