Summary:
Homestead, Florida is home to seven middle schools serving grades 6-8, all part of the Miami-Dade County Public School District, a district ranked in the top 30% of Florida. The schools present a wide performance range, from those in the bottom quartile of the state to strong performers, with the city's average state ranking falling below the state median. Everglades Preparatory Academy is the standout top performer, ranking in the 68th percentile and showing the most dramatic improvement, while Homestead Middle School is the lowest-ranked school in the city, sitting in the 18th percentile.
A critical finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better results. Homestead Middle School has the highest per-student spending ($16,497) but the lowest academic performance and a crisis-level chronic absenteeism rate of 51.2%. In contrast, Academir Middle School Of Math And Science has the lowest spending ($7,798) but is a top-three performer with the city's lowest chronic absenteeism rate (3.7%). Chronic absenteeism is a powerful predictor of performance, with the two lowest-performing schools having the highest rates, while the school with the lowest absenteeism is a strong performer.
Charter schools show mixed results, with Somerset Academy Charter Middle School (South Homestead) and Everglades Prep excelling, while others are mid-tier. A city-wide issue is a "7th-grade math slump," with scores dropping significantly at most schools, including top performers. The data also reveals a socioeconomic divide, but high-poverty schools like Academir and Somerset South Homestead prove that strong academic results are achievable through effective strategies and school culture, regardless of economic challenges.
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