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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

New Hope Middle School

Q: Is New Hope Middle School a good school?

New Hope Middle School ranks 166 th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

166^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 71% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

New Hope Middle School in Dalton, GA, serves 454 students in grades 6-8 as part of Whitfield County Schools, and has earned a 4-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year, ranking 166th out of 578 Georgia middle schools.

New Hope’s strongest academic area is mathematics, where proficiency rates consistently beat district and state averages—especially in 8th grade, where 55% of students scored proficient compared to 47.7% for the district and 46.3% statewide. Science is an even bigger standout: 47.5% of 8th graders are proficient, a remarkable 17.8 percentage points above the state average, and this advantage has held for three straight years. The school also keeps chronic absenteeism at 13.3%, well below the state’s 17.7%, even though 86.56% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—a figure that has jumped sharply in recent years without hurting academic results. Male students and Hispanic students also perform strongly, ranking in the 73rd and 68th percentiles statewide, respectively.

Compared to nearby schools, New Hope punches above its weight. It outperforms North Whitfield Middle School, just 2.5 miles away, by nearly 20 percentage points in 8th grade science (47.5% vs. 27.9%) and ranks 88 spots higher statewide, despite similar demographics. It also achieves better results than Valley Point Middle School while spending over $1,300 less per student. The school trails Westside Middle School, the county’s top performer, but nearly matches it in 7th grade math (49.4% vs. 48.6%). One area to watch: 8th grade social studies proficiency dipped to 37.8%, below the state average, after exceeding it the prior year. Overall, New Hope has maintained a 4-star rating for eight consecutive years, a strong upward trajectory from a 2-star rating in 2016-2017.

454

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,222

Per pupil spending ?

86.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1111 New Hope Rd NW
Dalton, GA 30720

(706) 673-2295

District: Whitfield County

Students who attend New Hope Middle School usually attend:

High:

Northwest Whitfield County High School

Feeder schools for New Hope Middle School:

Elementary:	New Hope Elementary School
	Pleasant Grove Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.7%

Hispanic:

46.3%

Two or more races:

2.6%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare New Hope Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 82nd percentile in 2025 → 71st in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Georgia median (71st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 82nd-percentile peak (2025) to 71st (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg38%

Georgia avg40%

166^th of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Top 29%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to top 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Middle Schools in the Whitfield County

96^th of 202Whitfield County among Georgia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	67.0	166 of 578	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	79.8	104 of 585	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	77.7	111 of 578	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	133 of 569	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.7	125 of 558	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	71.9	131 of 542	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.7	165 of 559	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	152 of 543	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	47.3	282 of 539	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.0	250 of 545	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.5	261 of 537	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	63.9	192 of 521	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.3	151 of 527	71.3%	★★★★☆
2012	64.1	183 of 508	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.2	196 of 504	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.3	117 of 494	76.3%	★★★★☆
2009	74.7	92 of 466	80.3%	★★★★☆
2008	75.6	88 of 462	81.0%	★★★★☆
2007	70.9	106 of 445	76.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2023	32.9	113 of 166	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.5	52 of 157	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	198 of 550	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.3	121 of 567	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	134 of 558	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	148 of 553	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.3	155 of 544	71.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	121 of 374	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.6	71 of 400	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	67 of 381	82.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.3	58 of 380	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.9	87 of 367	76.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	68.4	151 of 550	72.5%	★★★★☆
2025	81.9	85 of 569	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	80.1	87 of 561	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	111 of 559	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	92 of 553	83.4%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2022	50.3	73 of 159	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	226 of 425	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.8	115 of 442	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	42.6	216 of 437	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.8	216 of 429	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.7	216 of 431	49.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	189 of 404	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.4	128 of 415	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.9	137 of 417	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.6	194 of 429	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.7	143 of 425	66.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)68th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile-7 vs school

Migrant (2022)54th percentile-24 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)47th percentile-24 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)32nd percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science48%+18 vs state

Mathematics47%+4 vs state

Social Studies38%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, January 23, 2018

New Hope started as a great school, but last year for seventh grade I was bullied New Hope never did anything. They said they would do something about it, they did but they didn't help me they helped the bully hurt me even more! during the summer I swore to myself that I was never going back to that school, but I had to go back for a month in the beginning due to some glitch they had. during that month everything got worse and I was always sad but that month made me really depressed. After that month I decided to go to my grandparent who were lived in a different state, so I would never have to go back to New Hope. To all of the parents that read this don't send your kids to New Hope.
Sincerely,
Former Student Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, January 6, 2018

This school is a breath of fresh air compared to where we just moved from! The staff is so incredibly knowledgeable and caring. The students are respected and in return, behave respectfully. I have not yet met one person here who I wouldn't want to teach my child. This school is fantastic! Close Quote

Schools Near New Hope Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
New Hope Middle School	Public	6-8	1111 New Hope Rd NW	Dalton	30720	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-2295	454	35	12.8	86.6%	212 (46.7%)	10 (2.2%)	210 (46.3%)	7 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.6%)	67	166^th of 578 public middle schools	71.3%		79.8	104^th of 585 public middle schools	82.2%	62		36.6	49.4	55.0	47.5	37.8		$14,222	$809	$13,413
North Whitfield Middle School	Public	6-8	350 Trailblazer Lane	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 259-3381	731	55	13.2	89.7%	427 (58.4%)	17 (2.3%)	248 (33.9%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.2%)	51.4	254^th of 578 public middle schools	56.1%		47.2	284^th of 585 public middle schools	51.5%	30		37.6	40.6	50.7	27.9	27.8		$13,177	$736	$12,442
Hammond Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	330 Pleasant Grove Dr. NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 876-4660	1,057	87	12.0	72.8%	199 (18.8%)	49 (4.6%)	761 (72.0%)	27 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (1.8%)								(n/a)		50.1	47.8					$15,204	$540	$14,664
Dalton Junior High School	Public	8	1250 Cross Plains Trail	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 876-4650	517	52	9.9	72.0%	101 (19.5%)	24 (4.6%)	373 (72.1%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	40.2	323^rd of 578 public middle schools	44.1%		44.1	304^th of 585 public middle schools	48.0%	19	98.6			49.4	12.2	26.7	65.7	$16,959	$803	$16,156
Westside Middle School	Public	6-8	580 Lafayette Rd. SW	Rocky Face	30740	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-2611	428	30	14.0	84.8%	327 (76.4%)	8 (1.9%)	66 (15.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	79.2	101^st of 578 public middle schools	82.5%		72.5	141^st of 585 public middle schools	75.9%	40		52.0	48.6	66.0	51.4	47.2		$13,083	$557	$12,526
Ringgold Middle School	Public	6-8	217 Tiger Trl	Ringgold	30736	Catoosa County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 935-3381	725	62	11.6	49.8%	619 (85.4%)	24 (3.3%)	42 (5.8%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	30 (4.1%)	83.7	78^th of 578 public middle schools	86.5%		71.6	144^th of 585 public middle schools	75.4%	66	100.0	64.4	56.8	64.9	50.4	45.5		$14,475	$522	$13,952
Eastbrook Middle School	Public	6-8	1382 Eastbrook Road	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 278-6135	624	47	13.1	100.0%	127 (20.4%)	5 (0.8%)	469 (75.2%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.4%)	31.4	391^st of 578 public middle schools	32.4%		26.8	427^th of 585 public middle schools	27.0%	36		27.5	33.5	28.6	26.0	11.0		$12,687	$642	$12,045
Bagley Middle School	Public	6-8	4600 Highway 225 N	Chatsworth	30705	Murray County	Murray County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 695-1115	457	31	14.6	95.8%	337 (73.7%)	4 (0.9%)	109 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	52.3	253^rd of 578 public middle schools	56.2%		61.2	195^th of 585 public middle schools	66.7%	58	100.0	34.8	39.7	41.6	32.1	38.0		$14,166	$848	$13,318
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	4005 Poplar Springs Rd	Ringgold	30736	Catoosa County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	No	(706) 937-3568	858	66	12.9	40.0%	754 (87.9%)	15 (1.7%)	35 (4.1%)	23 (2.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.4%)	80.3	94^th of 578 public middle schools	83.7%		80.7	97^th of 585 public middle schools	83.4%	3	91.3	48.7	58.3	60.1	41.7	57.5	92.9	$12,473	$651	$11,822
Gladden Middle School	Public	6-8	700 Old Dalton Ellijay Rd	Chatsworth	30705	Murray County	Murray County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 695-7448	478	32	14.7	100.0%	309 (64.6%)	6 (1.3%)	148 (31.0%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	43.3	304^th of 578 public middle schools	47.4%		48	278^th of 585 public middle schools	52.5%	26	100.0	29.3	40.4	37.4	28.5	26.7		$12,598	$771	$11,827

Frequently Asked Questions about New Hope Middle School

Is New Hope Middle School a good school?

New Hope Middle School ranks 166^th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend New Hope Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 454 students attended New Hope Middle School.

What district is New Hope Middle School in?

Whitfield County

What high school do graduates of New Hope Middle School attend?

Students who attend New Hope Middle School usually go on to attend Northwest Whitfield County High School

What is the racial makeup of New Hope Middle School?

Students at New Hope Middle School are 47% White, 46% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.