The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh will open its second high school in the Triangle amid high demand from families seeking a religious education.
The diocese announced Thursday the new high school is scheduled to open in fall 2028 in Cary on what’s currently GRACE Christian School’s Lower School campus. Diocesan leaders cited the need for the expansion because Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh is full.
“Cardinal Gibbons High School has grown and evolved with the Diocese of Raleigh,” Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama said in a news release. “I am pleased that the school leadership is being innovative and forward-thinking to provide a quality, Catholic high school education in more and different ways for many years to come.”
GRACE Christian is expanding and relocating to a new campus in Apex. The diocese says purchasing and renovating GRACE Christian’s Lower School campus at 801 Buck Jones Road in Cary offers a cost-effective alternative to building a new school.
The diocese has talked about opening a second high school for more than 20 years. Cardinal Gibbons High is the only official Catholic high school for the 54 counties in the diocese that covers the eastern part of North Carolina.
St. Thomas More Academy in Raleigh was founded in 2002 with the blessing of the diocese to serve as an independent Catholic school because Cardinal Gibbons couldn’t keep up then with the demand.
Cardinal Gibbons is at full capacity at 1,600 students. Approximately 250 applicants are turned away each year due to space constraints, according to the diocese.
Like many other private schools in Wake County, Cardinal Gibbons has benefited from the expansion of North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program. State lawmakers increased funding and eliminated income eligibility limits for families to receive a private school voucher.
This school year, Cardinal Gibbons received $2 million from the Opportunity Scholarship program. That’s up from $240,204 last school year.
The new high school will open with a freshman class in fall 2028, adding one grade level each year until its first graduating class in 2032. The diocese says the school will serve approximately 400 students and will emphasize small class sizes and a personalized learning experience.
The new school doesn’t have a name yet and will be distinct in name and identity from Cardinal Gibbons. The diocese says the school aligns with its long-term vision to broaden access to quality, faith-based secondary education.
“We are excited to be a part of growing high school education in the Diocese of Raleigh,” Jeff Bell, Head of School at Cardinal Gibbons, said in the news release. “We look forward to partnering with many in the coming months to create a new high school that will expand Catholic education in the Triangle.”
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T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.