Our School
OUR HISTORY
New Hope was started in 1923 with grades 1 - 12. Five schools - McCrary, Little Hope, Dunbar, Windham, and Mt. Vernon consolidated to form New Hope High School. Since each of the schools thought that it should be named for their school, choosing a name proved to be quite a problem. Finally, it was decided that the new consolidation would be named New Hope Depot, and thus it became New Hope High School.
Ten classrooms, a library, a principal’s office and an auditorium made up the first school. The first principal was J. E. Vaughn, and the first faculty had only eight members. Most of those faculty members boarded with families in the community and their monthly salary was $ 40.00.
Parents in the community built the furnishings for the classrooms. The first shop was built with materials donated by the people in the community. Each child was asked to bring items from home to furnish the first home economics department.
The first graduating class consisted of one graduate, James Cooper; the second year there were seven graduates. The school has received accreditation every year since.
Since then the school has grown to a little less than one thousand students and seventy-five dedicated faculty members. Our present principal is Mr. Matt Smith. His assistants are Mrs. Lori Cargile and Mrs. Holli McBrayer.
To reach the New Hope High School from Highway 82 E. Interstate, take the Lee Stokes exit, go to the stop sign, take a right (at the Shell Station), travel approximately 2 miles to the four way stop sign and take a left on New Hope Road and travel approximately 3 miles until you reach a 4 way stop. Continue through stop sign onto New Hope Road or Stadium Road. Take a right from New Hope High School Road or a left from Stadium Road and you will be in parking lot.
This location is the general area for the New Hope High School, New Hope Middle School, New Hope Elementary School, and Lowndes County Alternative School.
If you are planning to visit one of New Hope’s schools, always obtain a visitor’s pass from the office of the school you intend to visit.
Material Researched and Presented by Ms. Dianne Webber