Summary:
New Hope High School and New Hope Elementary School serve approximately 1,132 students in the Madison County district of New Hope, Alabama, a small community where both schools share similar socioeconomic profiles, with about 47-48% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch.
For parents, the standout story is at New Hope Elementary School, which has shown consistent year-over-year improvement, climbing from a 3-star to a 4-star rating. Its 4th grade Science proficiency is exceptional at 79.31%—more than 29 points above the state average—and 5th grade English (79.66%) also exceeds both district and state benchmarks. In contrast, New Hope High School presents a more mixed picture. Its 7th and 8th graders perform strongly, particularly in English (76.52% in 8th grade), and the school boasts a 96.3% graduation rate. However, 11th grade proficiency drops sharply, with only 17.65% proficient in Math and 37.65% in English, contributing to a volatile state ranking that swung from 57th to 138th in one year.
A key concern for both schools is chronic absenteeism, which is notably high at the high school (21.6%) compared to the elementary school (15.0%) and the state average (12.0%). This likely correlates with the academic decline seen in upper grades. Additionally, while the high school spends $3,005 more per student ($12,045 vs. $9,040), its outcomes are weaker relative to state averages, raising questions about resource allocation. Overall, families should view New Hope Elementary School as a clear strength, while the transition into high school appears to be a critical intervention point, with English remaining a relative bright spot across both schools compared to math.
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