New Hanover High, 1307 Market St.: grades 9-12, 1,437 students, a C (58) in North Carolina's 2025-26 school grades. Home of the Lyceum Academy.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: New Hanover High School, New Hanover County Schools, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, the NCHSAA and the federal NCES school directory.
New Hanover High School is a New Hanover County Schools high school for grades 9 to 12 on Market Street, just east of downtown Wilmington and inside the city limits. It is home to the district’s Lyceum Academy for juniors and seniors.
Who to call
- Front office: 910-251-6100, 1307 Market St., Wilmington, NC 28401
- School website: newhanoverhs.nhcs.net
- Enrolling a new student: the district’s enrollment office, 910-251-2929. District main line: 910-254-4200.
- Buses: the district’s Transportation Department
- Which school serves my address: the district’s School Locator
| Address | 1307 Market St., Wilmington, NC 28401 |
| Phone | 910-251-6100 |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| School day | 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| District | New Hanover County Schools |
| Athletics | NCHSAA 7A |
Principal
Principal Phillip Sutton, according to the school’s website.
Enrollment and teachers
- Federal count: 1,437 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 91 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 16 students per teacher. The 2023-24 count was 1,515.
State report card
North Carolina grades every public school from A to F. According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s technical guide, 80% of the grade comes from an achievement score built on state tests and other indicators, and 20% from students’ academic growth, on a 15-point scale.
| School year | Grade | Score | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | C | 58 | Not met |
| 2024-25 | C | 56 | Not met |
| 2023-24 | C | 61 | Not met |
Other 2025-26 figures from the state’s school assessment and indicator data:
- 43.6% of state tests taken at New Hanover High were at grade level or above, against 59.2% statewide.
- Four-year graduation rate: 81.6%. The five-year rate was 82%.
- ACT: 46.7% of 11th graders scored 17 or higher on the composite.
- End-of-course tests at grade level: NC Math 3 59.1%, English II 47.6%, Biology 41.8%, NC Math 1 23.5%.
The grades and scores come from the state’s School Performance Grades dashboard data. The state’s interactive school report card for New Hanover High covers 2024-25, with results by student group, teacher data and spending.
Attendance zone and feeder schools
Check any address on the district’s School Locator map or call the enrollment office at 910-251-2929. According to the zone map:
- Middle schools: most of the Williston Middle zone goes to New Hanover High. Parts of the Holly Shelter, MCS Noble, Emma B. Trask and Myrtle Grove middle zones also send students here.
- Elementary schools in the zone: Wrightsboro, Snipes, Blair, Alderman, Wrightsville Beach, Sunset Park, College Park, Mary C. Williams, Forest Hills and Freeman, plus a small part of Bellamy.
Students from other zones can apply through the district’s open choice lottery; students accepted into a signature program such as the Lyceum Academy get priority.
Programs
According to the district’s Lyceum page, the Lyceum Academy of New Hanover High is open to juniors and seniors from anywhere in the county, who apply in February of their sophomore year. Pre-Lyceum courses for freshmen and sophomores use year-long, team-taught classes, but are not required to apply.
Sports and activities
In the NCHSAA’s 2025-2029 realignment, approved March 6, 2025, New Hanover is a 7A school in the 6A/7A/8A Conference A, with Hoggard, Laney, Ashley, North Brunswick, Topsail and West Brunswick. The school’s athletics page lists:
- Fall: varsity and JV football, volleyball, cross country, men’s soccer, women’s golf, women’s tennis and cheerleading
- Winter: men’s and women’s basketball, swimming and wrestling
- Spring: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, men’s golf, men’s tennis, and track and field
Scores and schedules: our Friday night football page and the high school scoreboard.
Calendar and bell times
The school day runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the school’s website. New Hanover High follows the district’s traditional calendar. From the 2026-27 calendar (PDF), students are off on:
- Monday, Oct. 26: teacher workday
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day, teacher workday
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Nov. 25-27: teacher workday, then Thanksgiving
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2027: winter break
More on Wilmington schools
- The school’s website and its page in the district’s school directory
- Williston Middle School, the main feeder
- Every public school in Wilmington
- Our Wilmington schools guide for enrollment documents and board meetings
Frequently asked questions
What grades does New Hanover High School serve?
Grades 9 through 12. New Hanover High is a New Hanover County Schools high school at 1307 Market St. in Wilmington, with 1,437 students in the federal 2024-25 count.
What is New Hanover High School’s school performance grade?
New Hanover High earned a C, with a score of 58, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 school performance grades, up from 56 in 2024-25. Its four-year graduation rate was 81.6%.
Which middle school feeds New Hanover High?
Most of the Williston Middle zone goes to New Hanover High, according to the district’s school locator map. Parts of the Holly Shelter, MCS Noble, Emma B. Trask and Myrtle Grove middle zones also do.
What time does New Hanover High School start?
The school’s website lists its hours as 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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