The Good Hope School is a non-profit, nonsectarian, independent, co-educational day school, fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, offering a rigorous college preparatory curriculum to students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Good Hope School was founded in 1967, through the generosity of Laurance and David Rockefeller and Leon Hess, with the unique purpose of providing the community with a multicultural, interracial learning environment committed to high academic standards. Since the school's founding, the Board of Trustees has demonstrated this commitment by appropriating between 7% to 9% of the operating budget for tuition assistance. One-third of our student body receives financial assistance from the school. In doing so, the school has been able to enroll a student body that reflects the richness of the many cultures, the various ethnic and religious groups, and all economic backgrounds that live together on St. Croix.

The Mission

A commitment to the success of each child anchors the mission of The Good Hope School. Central to this belief is a shared dedication to excellence. The educational program provides a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that guides a student's ability to think critically, creatively, independently, and globally.

Our dynamic faculty and staff encourage young people to achieve their full potential, not only intellectually, but also in their artistic and athletic endeavors. Within the Good Hope community there is an enduring respect for the differences reflected in our multicultural environment. The continued development of strength of character, sound values, and a passion for learning is a hallmark of the Good Hope experience.

The Students

Learn more about Good Hope's College Counseling and Acceptances.

The Curriculum

Good Hope's rigorous curriculum is completely integrated and sequential following a traditional college preparatory model, designed to support and to stretch students as the school prepares them to advance to highly competitive colleges and universities. With emphasis on the mastery of fundamental skills and content, and the development of study habits needed to become academically self-reliant, Good Hope School provides an atmosphere that instills a love of learning. Thought-compelling enrichment courses are provided, at all grade levels, through the visual and performing arts, foreign languages, music, poetry, dramatics and creative writing. Classroom instruction is augmented by field trips, guest speakers, off-island travel, computers, the Internet, student and faculty exchange programs, resource and enrichment activities, and our extensive library collection of resource books, videos, periodicals, fiction and non-fiction books, the Caribbean Collection, an extensive collection of resource books, novels, and histories specific to our area of the world, and The DeWitt Wallace Rare Book Collection.

The school is divided into three divisions: Lower, Middle and Upper schools. The three divisions work together in devising the curriculum and planning school-wide educational activities. One of the most positive attributes of the school is the interaction of students at all grade levels that goes well beyond peacefully co-existing on the same campus. Walking through campus you can see the informal interaction of the students as a first grader calls out to a freshman, a sophomore helps a sixth grader find a book in the library, or the fourth and fifth graders serve as reading buddies for the Kindergartners. This informal interaction is a result of the school's program designed to build self-esteem through hands-on activities and exposure to new ideas, and a keen sense of building a strong community.

To further ensure the success of all students, Good Hope School offers a resource program at all grade levels. The program ensures that promising students who may lack specific skills are given remedial instruction enabling them to reach their potential and succeed in the classroom.

The Faculty

Good Hope's reputation as one of the finest elementary and secondary educational institutions in the Caribbean is maintained by a low student to teacher ratio (8:1) and an impressive faculty of highly educated and experienced professionals. The faculty's hard work, concern for students, motivation, and dedication to the Mission are the true foundation of the school's continued success. Each year Good Hope recruits dynamic, creative, and knowledgeable new teachers to enhance or expand its programs, while a large number of the faculty have taught at the school for many years.

The Campuses

The school's Main Campus is comprised of ten buildings including six multi-classroom buildings, a multi-purpose athletic facility, a three-hundred-seat fully-equipped theater, a 5,000 square foot library, three computer labs, a swimming pool with showers, lockers and weight room, on 32 acres bordering the Caribbean Sea. The campus is valued for its natural beauty as well as its historical significance as a cotton plantation during the 1700's. The school has a second campus for an Early Childhood program on the island's East End that serves children 2.5 to 5 years of age.

The Community

St. Croix, along with St. Thomas and St. John, is a part of the United States Territory of the Virgin Islands, located in the Caribbean Sea. English, Spanish, and a local dialect are all spoken in this multiracial, multiethnic society. Though not an affluent community, one out of every six students who attend secondary school on St. Croix goes to a private institution. Good Hope School is one of five small independent schools on St. Croix. It has been serving the community of 55,000 for over 37 years.

School Enrollment, Accreditation, and Memberships

The Good Hope School (Pre-K-12) is a college preparatory school, considered to be the most academically rigorous and diverse on the island. The Good Hope School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Caribbean Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Caribbean Association of American Schools. It is accredited by the Virgin Islands Department of Education and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.