Horseshoe Bend High School, New Site AL

Original Research by School Decision on Horseshoe Bend High School

Horseshoe Bend High School serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on a single campus in the rural town of New Site, Alabama. It is a regular public school within the Tallapoosa County school system. The student body is predominantly white and includes a substantial share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding community. The school's enrollment is moderate for a K-12 building, with roughly similar numbers across each grade level, giving it a stable, small-school feel where students move through all grades together.

Academically, the school shows a mixed picture when looking at state assessment results from the most recent testing year. Performance varies noticeably by subject and grade. In English language arts, several elementary and middle grades post proficiency rates that are solid, with some grades reaching well above the midpoint of the state's performance range. Math proficiency is more uneven: a few grades show rates that are in a comfortable middle ground, while others fall below that mark. Science results, available for grades four and eight, are lower. Because this is the only year of data available, it is not yet possible to see a trend over time. When compared against other schools across the two districts that make up Tallapoosa County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among those districts.

The school serves all grades, so a parent looking for a single campus from kindergarten through high school will find that here. Because it is a PK-12 school, state accountability measures such as a four-year graduation rate would typically be reported, but that data was not available in the current information. A family may want to ask the school directly about graduation outcomes and college-going rates. The school's website and the district office would be the best sources for that information.

New Site is a quiet, low-density rural town with a small population that has been stable to slightly declining in recent years. There is no concentrated downtown or walkable commercial strip; the town's civic life centers on the town hall, community center, and sports fields at Barnes Memorial Park. The nearest employment hubs are in Alexander City and other parts of the county, with many residents working in education, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. Housing values in the area are modest, well below both the Alabama state median and the national median, and have seen a slight dip in the most recent year. This makes the area relatively affordable for families, though the local job market offers limited options within the town itself.

The school is the only K-12 option in this immediate area, drawing students from New Site and the surrounding rural parts of Tallapoosa County. Data on course offerings, such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career and technical education pathways, was not included in the available information. Similarly, information on staffing ratios, discipline, and chronic absenteeism was missing. Any parent considering the school would want to speak with administrators about the breadth of programs available, especially at the high school level.

In sum, Horseshoe Bend High School offers a full K-12 education in a small, rural setting with a largely homogeneous student population and a significant share of students from lower-income households. Academic performance is strongest in English language arts in several grades, while math and science results are more mixed. The broader community is quiet and affordable, with limited commercial activity but access to regional parks and outdoor recreation. Families seeking a traditional, small-town school environment may find this a good fit, though those wanting detailed data on postsecondary preparation or program variety will need to gather that directly from the school.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

90-94%Cohort of 61 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

373 schools plotted. 7 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 41% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 41% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 30% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 18% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 43% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 76% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 55% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 71% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 54% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 43% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 50% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median

Science

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 37% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 32% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median

This schoolTallapoosa County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income56%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income53%7 pp gap