A Delaware school got $1 million from an anonymous donor when it opened; one year later, the donor returned with $2 million | World News

When Holy Cross High School opened its doors in Delaware in 2025, an anonymous donor gave the new school $1 million to help it through its first year. One year later, on the first day of the school’s second academic year, the same donor contacted Head of School Tom Fertal again with another unexpected gift, this time worth $2 million. The donor has asked to remain anonymous, while the school refers to the person as its “Angel Investor”. The latest contribution comes as Holy Cross works to establish a permanent campus in Frederica, where it has secured about 100 acres of land. The school is now developing plans for a new campus that it hopes to open in 2028.

The first $1 million came when the school opened

Holy Cross High School began operating in autumn 2025 as an independent Catholic high school serving families in Kent and Sussex counties. It was established to provide a Catholic high-school option in an area that had been without one since the closure of St Thomas More Academy in 2020.The school initially operated from a temporary location in Dover while working towards its long-term campus. From the outset, school leaders envisioned moving into a dedicated facility as enrolment and programmes expanded.That plan received an early boost on the very day Holy Cross opened.The anonymous donor contacted Fertal and gave the school $1 million to support its inaugural year. The contribution arrived as the new institution was beginning to establish its academic programmes, build enrolment and develop the financial foundation needed for future growth.At the time, the donor’s identity was not disclosed, and the school has continued to keep it private.

Then the same donor came back with $2 million

The next contribution arrived with remarkably similar timing.According to The Dialog, Fertal was contacted by the same donor on the first day of the 2026-27 school year, exactly as Holy Cross began its second academic year. Instead of another introductory gift, the donor committed $2 million.The school refers to the anonymous benefactor as its “Angel Investor”. With the latest contribution, the donor has now given Holy Cross a total of $3 million across its first two years.The timing of the gifts has made the donor’s support an unusual part of the school’s short history. The first donation came as Holy Cross opened its doors for the first time, while the second arrived as students and staff returned for year two.Brian Lessard, chair of the school’s board of trustees, said the donor’s backing had also helped encourage others to support the school’s broader fundraising effort.

The money comes as Holy Cross prepares to build

The $2 million gift arrives at a pivotal stage for Holy Cross.The school has secured about 100 acres in Frederica, Delaware, where it plans to develop its permanent campus. Its Founders Campaign is focused on turning the property into a long-term home for the school and its growing programmes.The proposed campus would be a major expansion from the temporary facilities where Holy Cross began.Plans call for a main school building of roughly 90,600 square feet, along with facilities including a chapel, technology centre, medical sciences suite, theatre, art and music spaces, gymnasium and broadcast studio. The wider development is also planned to include athletic fields, tennis courts and additional buildings.Construction is expected to begin around 2027, with the school targeting an autumn 2028 opening for the permanent campus, subject to the development process.

A school that started with about 35 students

Holy Cross’ ambitions are considerably larger than its first-year footprint.Before opening in 2025, the school expected around 35 students for its inaugural year. Most were expected to be freshmen, with a smaller number entering as sophomores. The school planned to add higher grades as those initial cohorts progressed.That gradual expansion was part of the reason a permanent campus became central to the school’s plans. A dedicated facility would provide room for the academic, extracurricular, athletic and spiritual programmes envisioned by school leaders.Holy Cross operates independently rather than as a school directly funded by the Diocese of Wilmington. Its finances therefore depend on sources including tuition, private donations and fundraising.

The $2 million gift supports the next stage

The latest donation gives the school’s permanent-campus campaign another major contribution as Holy Cross moves from its first years of operation towards a larger, purpose-built institution.The school is now working towards developing its 100-acre Frederica property into a campus capable of supporting the students it expects to serve in the years ahead.For an institution that only opened in 2025, the two donations have provided an unusual beginning: $1 million when the school opened, followed by another $2 million when its second academic year began.The donor’s identity remains private, but the two gifts have already made the anonymous benefactor one of the most significant supporters in Holy Cross High School’s early history.