School days

Several executives at apartment management firm Avesta were impressed when they heard about the Rev. Steve Ryan's plans for a private high school in Tampa.

Ryan's plan was to turn an abandoned boarding school for boys into a Catholic high school under the national Cristo Rey network, which combines rigorous academics with a work-study program. Cristo Rey schools, with a Catholic, college prep-based curriculum, are known for working with urban, inner-city students from low-income backgrounds and families who have limited education options. Students don't have to be Catholic to attend.

The obstacle: To open, the school had a laundry list of needs including a comprehensive feasibility study; assembling a board of directors; renovating and updating the campus, which had been empty since 2006; and finding corporate partners that could provide job opportunities for students, in addition to financial support.