Wilmington’s first Catholic high school enrolling for fall semester
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Wilmington’s first Catholic high school is enrolling students for the upcoming fall semester, marking a milestone for families seeking faith-based education in the Cape Fear region.
Father Thomas Price Catholic High School is set to open in August inside the Tileston School building at the Basilica of Saint Mary. The new school is a partnership between St. Mark Catholic Church and the Basilica School.
For Dennis Fleck, who is coming out of retirement to help establish the school, the opening represents years of effort.
“It’s been anywhere from 10 to 20 years in the making,” Fleck said.
The school will begin with one ninth-grade class.
“Our curriculum is going to be rather traditional, most of the classes are taught in all the high schools, our students will take Latin to start with,” Fleck said.
The Basilica School currently serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade and plans to incorporate high school students into the campus, with an initial goal of enrolling 20 to 25 students.
Fleck said enrollment is still in its early stages, with two students currently enrolled and two additional candidates being considered.
“For a variety of reasons it’s been a struggle to get it going,” he said.
One challenge has been the historically small Catholic population in the Wilmington area. Fleck said that has changed over time.
“When I first got here in 1981, the Catholic population was very limited,” Fleck said. “Saint Mary had been here for years, Saint Mark had probably been here for 15 years, but the Catholic population continues to grow for a variety of reasons down here.”
That trend is seen nationwide as well especially among Generation Z which has seen a 15 to 21 percent jump in converts from 2022 to 2023.
“I know there is increased interest in the Catholic faith and I know that the baptisms have risen over the last few years,” he said.
Despite the slow start, Fleck said he expects the school to grow in the coming years, with plans to expand its presence within the building.
“We think we are gonna be here to stay, and we think in four to five years, Father Thomas Price Catholic High School is going to look a lot different than it does now,” he said.
