Summary:
Zip code 35760 is home to just one high school, New Hope High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 and enrolls 598 students in the New Hope, Alabama area within the Madison County school district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that New Hope High School shows a striking split between its middle school and high school performance. In 7th and 8th grade, students significantly outperform both district and state averages in math, English, and science—for example, 8th grade English proficiency is 76.5% compared to 58.5% statewide, and 8th grade math is 36.5% versus 26.4% statewide. However, by 11th grade, proficiency drops dramatically across all subjects: math falls to 17.7% (well below the state’s 27.2%), English to 37.7% (still above state’s 33.7% but far below the school’s own 8th grade level), and science to 37.7% (just above state’s 36.2%). This suggests a significant loss of academic momentum during the high school years, possibly tied to engagement or curriculum rigor.
The school’s state ranking has also been volatile, dropping from 57th (85th percentile, 4 stars) in 2024-2025 to 138th (64th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025-2026—an 81-position decline in one year. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at 21.6%, which is 80% higher than the state average of 12.0% and likely a contributing factor to the upper-grade struggles. On the positive side, the graduation rate is excellent at 96.3%, exceeding both district (95.6%) and state (91.5%) averages, and the school serves a moderate-income population with 48.3% of students on free/reduced lunch. With a 16.5:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $12,045, resources appear adequate, but the disconnect between strong middle school results and weak high school outcomes—combined with rising absenteeism—points to a critical transition that needs attention.
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