Established in 2006, Hillgrove High School was built on 98 acres (400,000m2). The land was donated by Harry Hill and Harriet Hargrove Hill to Young Harris College and then sold to the Cobb County Board of Education by the university. The Hills purchased the land in 1952 to raise cattle and Tennessee Walking Horses. The Hills give college scholarships to Hillgrove students who excel at their studies.
Academics
Hillgrove High is ranked #42 among public high schools in the state of Georgia and #32 in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with a graduation rate of approximately 94%.[4] The school offers over twenty Advanced Placement courses, with a 38% student participation rate.[4] Approximately 60% of students are from minority backgrounds, and 34% are economically disadvantaged. Hillgrove High is one of 18 high schools in the Cobb County School District.
The school also offers "Career Tech" pathways, CTAE courses including:
Programming
Engineering Graphics & Design
Audio/Video Technology & Film
Business Management/Career Technology
Culinary Arts
Sports & Entertainment
Marketing
NJROTC
The Hillgrove High School Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps has won numerous accolades and awards since its establishment in 2009 and commission in 2010.[5] The Orienteering Team has also won three state championships and was the national champion team in 2019, 2022, and 2023 [citation needed].
Athletics
A small council of students from neighboring Cobb County schools met to choose Hillgrove's mascot, the hawk. This was chosen due to the many indigenous hawks living around the property upon which Hillgrove was built.[3] The school is home to various athletic teams.[6]
The Hillgrove Wind Symphony has received national recognition. In 2025, the ensemble performed at the University of Georgia’s JanFest,[7] and was invited to the 2025 Music for All National Concert Band Festival.[8]
Jazz Band
Hillgrove's Jazz Orchestra has performed at the GMEA In-Service Conference and the Essentially Ellington Festival in Nashville in 2023. It earned international recognition with an invitation to the 2023 Midwest Clinic.[9][10]
Marching Band
The Hillgrove Marching Band has been active since the school opened in 2006. In 2019, it performed at the 75th Anniversary D-Day Parade in France.[11] The band partnered with Kell High School to create "Kellgrove," achieving second place in the Fayette County Marching Band Finals with their show Ohana.
In 2023, the band won Grand Champions at the Western Carolina University Tournament of Champions with their show Forew4rned.[12] Their 2024 show, As the World Runs Dry, inspired by *Mad Max* and *Dune*, is set to premiere at BOA UAB.[13]
Orchestra
Since 2006, Hillgrove's orchestra program has grown to more than 150 students across three ensembles. These ensembles have performed at notable venues such as Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in New York, and internationally in China, France, and Iceland.[14]
Drama
Hillgrove's drama program, led by Thespian Troupe #7190, has presented multiple productions:
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