WILMINGTON — St. Mark Catholic Church and School and the Basilica of St. Mary Catholic Church and School are partnering to launch a Catholic high school, which would be the only one in Wilmington; it’s scheduled to open this fall.
Fr. Thomas F. Price Catholic High School, to be located on the campus of the Basilica of St. Mary at 412 Ann St., is set to open to high school freshmen, and sophomores if there is demand, for the 2026-2027 school year. A committee featuring members of both parishes are behind the effort.
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Dennis Fleck, former assistant principal and dean of students at St. Mark, has come out of retirement and signed on to be the high school’s principal. His 45 years of experience also includes tenure as a teacher, coach, athletic director, assistant principal, and for a short time, interim principal at Ashley High School.
Fleck told Port City Daily the school is named after Father Thomas Frederick Price, a Wilmington native born in 1860. Price co-founded the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America — known today as the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers.
“He was baptized and went to church over at the old St. Thomas, which is now the Preservation Hall, so that’s kind of interesting,” Fleck said. “They’re actually trying to apply for beatification of him, which in the Catholic Church is the first process to sainthood. I think it’s kind of appropriate that you know that we’re so close in proximity to where he grew up.”
Fleck, who received a Catholic education in Louisville, Kentucky, told Port City Daily the goal is to enroll 20 to 25 students as part of the first freshman cohort, with two students enrolled, two in the application process, and another two in prospective status.
Though, the school could accommodate more than 25 students if needed; he said the current campus could probably enroll 100 additional students without renovation.
“We’re very optimistic about the enrollment increasing as the years go by,” Fleck said.
Roughly 260 students attend both middle schools at St. Mark and St. Mary, according to Fleck, though students from other public or charter schools could also apply. Fleck told Port City Daily
If needed, the school could upfit another building on campus, but he said eventually the school would like to purchase land and build a brand new high school.
The school is also seeking agreements with the city to use nearby athletic facilities to accommodate athletics, including baseball, soccer and lacrosse. The school will offer sports based on student interest. Fleck said year one possibilities include cross country, JV volleyball and JV basketball.
“I got to have six to 10 girls to have a girls basketball team, girls volleyball team; got to have six to 10 boys to have a boys basketball team, 15 or so to have a soccer team,” Fleck said. “If the need is there, we’ll have it.”
The freshman curriculum, decided by committee, will include English, biology, world history, math, Latin, theology, and health and PE. Fleck said the school hopes to offer Advanced Placement and dual enrollment with Cape Fear Academy and UNCW.
Tuition for the 2026-2027 has been set at $10,000; it includes books, materials, and technology and is a “first-year discount” of $2,000 from the standard rate. The school will also accept North Carolina Opportunity Scholarships, which provides money to families for private school tuition on a sliding scale based on need.
Applications are currently open on a rolling basis. Fleck said anyone can apply and admission would be on a variety of factors, though no entrance exam will be administered.
“A committee looks over the applicants and makes a decision whether we think there’ll be a good fit,” Fleck said.
The $100 application fee is waived for all application materials received by April 15, 2026.
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