Wake County getting a second Catholic high school

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Wake County is getting a new Catholic high school.

On Thursday, Cardinal Gibbons High School, along with the Diocese of Raleigh, revealed plans to open the school in fall 2028.

The new school will be at the existing location of Grace Christian School's Lower School campus at 801 Buck Jones Road in Cary.

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Grace Christian is relocating to Apex as it expands its campus and will lease the property.

Gibbons leaders told ABC11 on Thursday that Raleigh's explosive growth is behind the school's decision to expand.

"What we've been finding over the last many years, we don't have enough spaces at Cardinal Gibbons for all the students who would like to attend, so we worked closely with the Diocese and bishop and this opportunity presented itself and it was a true blessing and we acted on it," said Jeff Bell, Head of School at Cardinal Gibbons.

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With 1,600 students enrolled at Cardinal Gibbons, Bell said the school is well past capacity.

Gibbons hopes to open the new high school with a freshman class in fall 2028, adding one grade level each subsequent year until its first graduating class in 2032.