Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy, Atlanta GA

Original Research by School Decision on Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy

Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy is an alternative school serving grades 6 through 12 in Atlanta Public Schools. It houses a small enrollment concentrated in grades 9 and 10, with far fewer students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Black with a small representation of Hispanic and Asian students.

The school's most striking characteristic is its proficiency profile on Georgia state testing. In math, the school shows proficiency rates below 1 percent, and in English language arts, proficiency sits at about 2 percent. Science and social studies proficiency at grade 8 are also at or near zero. When compared against other districts in Fulton County, the school falls in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. These are the lowest results in the available data set for this school.

As an alternative school, this setting is purpose-built for students who have not thrived in traditional high school environments. Alternative schools nationally serve students who are behind academically, have behavioral histories, are returning from suspension or expulsion, are older than their grade cohort, or are seeking flexible scheduling and smaller class structures. The limited data on the school itself leaves open the question of what specific academic supports, counseling, pathways, or schedule options the school offers; a parent or guardian interested in Hank Aaron New Beginnings would benefit from asking the school directly about its program design, staffing, daily structure, and how it approaches literacy, numeracy, and engagement for students who enter with significant academic gaps.

The school is located in Atlanta's southwest quadrant. Atlanta housing values in the school's zip code have declined modestly in recent months, and rents remain modest relative to the metro area. The Atlanta Public Schools district is currently undergoing significant restructuring; in December 2025 the Board of Education voted unanimously to close, merge, or repurpose a substantial number of schools beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, with closures concentrated in historically Black neighborhoods in northwest and southwest Atlanta. Families should verify whether this school is part of that plan and what timeline applies. The district has also adopted a science of reading curriculum in its elementary schools and in-sourced its nutrition program, changes that may ripple into middle and high school work over time.

Graduation rate data for this school was not available in the public reporting reviewed.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

<=10%Cohort of 33 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.

467 schools plotted. 22 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 26% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 72%

School 2% · District 30% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 36% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 37% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 72%

School 2% · District 34% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 33% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 24% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 26% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

This schoolAtlanta Public Schools, 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.