Original Research by School Decision on New Horizons High School
New Horizons High School is an alternative school in Pasco, within the Pasco School District, serving grades six through twelve. About 370 students are enrolled, and the grade distribution is heavily weighted toward the upper end: there are no students reported in grades six, seven, or eight, a very small presence in ninth grade, and the enrollment rises steeply through tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades, with the largest group by far in twelfth grade. This lopsided profile is typical for an alternative school that often serves as a non-traditional pathway for students who need to recover credits or are closer to graduation. A very large share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with white students and smaller groups of students identifying as two or more races, Black, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native.
Assessment data is limited. For the 2020-21 school year, math proficiency results for eighth grade were suppressed and not reported, which is common when a small number of students are tested. More recent single-year results from the 2024-25 school year show an English language arts proficiency rate above the midpoint for the school’s grade band when compared across the state, though still a level a parent would want to investigate further. The science proficiency rate for that same year is lower. Because New Horizons is an alternative school, standard metrics like a four-year graduation rate and chronic absenteeism rates, which the state typically reports, were not available for comparison. A parent should understand that the mission of an alternative school often means its students face different challenges than those in a traditional comprehensive high school, so direct comparisons to conventional schools may not be fair or illuminating.
Data on special populations such as students with disabilities and English learners was not available. Information on discipline rates, staffing ratios, and course access was also missing, so a parent considering this school would want to ask the school directly about these areas. No program offerings were provided in the data.
Pasco sits in Franklin County in the Tri-Cities region of Washington, an area that has experienced extremely fast growth in recent years. The city’s west side in particular has seen extensive new housing tracts, apartments, and shopping centers. The local economy is anchored by agriculture and food processing—major employers include Lamb Weston, Reser’s Fine Foods, and BNSF Railway—along with the nearby Hanford nuclear site and its contractors. Housing values in the area are below the state average, and rents are climbing. The Pasco School District has been responding to growth with major capital projects. Voters approved a bond measure in early 2023 to fund a third comprehensive high school, Sageview High School, which opened for the 2025-26 school year to relieve overcrowding at the district’s other large high schools. The district also launched a Digital Learning Academy in 2023, consolidating online programs. A career and college center called Orion High School was planned to open during the 2025-26 school year, and the district purchased land for a future elementary or middle school.
For a family evaluating New Horizons, the picture is one of a small alternative school serving a student body that is predominantly older, economically disadvantaged, and Hispanic, within a rapidly growing district that is investing in new capacity and alternative pathways. The academic performance data is thin, with only a single recent year of proficiency results available and many standard metrics suppressed or absent. This is a school that likely serves students for whom a traditional setting has not worked well, and a parent would need to speak with the school directly about its specific approach, the supports it offers, and how it measures success beyond standardized tests.
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