Summary:
The city of Cutler Bay, Florida, is home to 10 schools within the Miami-Dade County school district, serving elementary through high school grades with a notable performance gap between its charter and traditional public schools.
The standout performer is Mater Academy Bay Middle School, ranking in the 96th percentile statewide with a 5-star rating and exceptional test scores, including 100% proficiency in Geometry and Biology. Cutler Bay Senior High School leads traditional public high schools with a 100% graduation rate and the lowest chronic absenteeism in the city at 8.2%. Mater Academy Bay Elementary is a top-tier elementary school with a 95th percentile ranking and strong 3rd-grade math and ELA scores of 92% and 90%, respectively. In contrast, Gulfstream Elementary School struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism rate (31.6%) and declining state rankings, despite having the highest per-student spending at $24,595. Coral Reef Montessori Academy Charter School has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (3.65%) but only a 2-star ranking, while Cutler Ridge Elementary and Bel-Aire Elementary have the highest poverty rates at 64.88% and 63.89%, respectively.
Key findings reveal that the Mater Academy charter schools form a highly efficient pipeline, achieving top rankings with lower per-student spending (around $10,000) compared to traditional schools. Chronic absenteeism is a strong predictor of performance, with top schools having rates below 17% and struggling schools above 23%. A notable anomaly is the 6th-grade math proficiency rates of 94-100% at Dr. Edward L. Whigham Elementary School and Cutler Ridge Elementary, which far exceed their other scores and warrant further investigation. Overall, Cutler Bay offers a mix of high-performing charter options and traditional schools with varying outcomes, where school leadership and curriculum appear to play a critical role in overcoming socioeconomic challenges.
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