The top reported proficiency rate is 3% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on New Horizons
New Horizons is a closed alternative middle school that operated in Goldthwaite as part of Orenda Charter School. Because the school is no longer open, the details that remain tell a limited but instructive story about what it offered while it existed.
The school served grades six through eight and operated in an alternative model, meaning it was designed to serve students whose needs or circumstances did not fit a traditional classroom structure. Alternative schools in Texas often work with students who are disengaged from conventional settings, have attendance or behavior challenges, are returning from suspensions or expulsions, or need a more flexible or individualized learning pace. The fact that New Horizons existed as a distinct campus suggests Orenda saw enough demand or need in the Goldthwaite area to maintain a separate program pathway.
The academic data available is from the 2022-2023 school year, the last before closure. On state assessments in mathematics, the school showed very low proficiency. In fourth grade, no students tested at proficient levels; in fifth grade, only a single student reached proficiency out of a small group tested. By seventh and eighth grade, zero students achieved proficiency in math despite the school having small but stable enrollment at those grade levels. English language arts results were similarly low: no eighth-grade students scored at proficient levels, and other grade levels either had too few test-takers to report or showed no proficiency. Science and social studies proficiency was zero across the grades tested. These patterns are consistent with an alternative school serving students further behind academically, but they also reflect a program that was not closing the achievement gap for its population.
Enrollment figures and demographic data were not available, so there is no information about how many students the school served, their backgrounds, family income, or special education and English learner populations. State testing participation rates were also not reported, which makes it unclear whether all enrolled students took the assessments or whether some were exempt. This gap limits a complete picture of the school's role.
Goldthwaite itself is a small rural county seat in central Texas, home to a working agricultural economy and state government and health-care employers. It is a town of modest size with slow growth, where affordable housing and rural character matter to families. Orenda Charter School, the parent charter organization, operates multiple campuses across Texas with a focus on college preparatory education, but New Horizons appears to have served a different mission as an alternative program. The organization has since expanded significantly in the Georgetown area with new high school and K-8 campuses, but the Goldthwaite location did not survive or was consolidated into another program.
Why the school closed is not stated in the available data. Closure could reflect low enrollment demand, insufficient academic progress, operational cost pressures, or district decisions to consolidate resources elsewhere. A parent or resident seeking to understand what happened would want to contact Orenda Charter School directly for the specific reasons.
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