Best Elementary Schools in Miami, FL

This analysis examines 168 elementary schools in Miami, Florida, serving grades PK-5 and PK-8, predominantly within the Miami-Dade County Public School district, which ranks in the 71st percentile statewide. The data reveals a stark performance divide, with top-tier schools like Sunset Elementary School and Palmetto Elementary School consistently ranking in the top 12 out of over 2,200 Florida schools, earning 5-star ratings and achieving near-perfect proficiency rates (95-100%) in core subjects. In contrast, schools like Citrus Grove K-8 Center and Paul Laurence Dunbar K-8 Center rank near the very bottom, earning 0-star ratings with test scores drastically below district averages, such as only 22% proficiency in 3rd Grade English Language Arts.

Key metrics highlight chronic absenteeism as a critical warning sign, with top performers like Palmetto Elementary School (2.3%) and Ada Merritt K-8 Center (5.3%) having rates far below the district average of 28.2%, while struggling schools like Citrus Grove K-8 Center (40.6%) and Earlington Heights Elementary School (40.8%) have rates significantly above the state average of 31.4%. Per-student spending varies widely from $7,420 to $24,065, but does not guarantee success; for instance, Gloria Floyd Elementary School spends over $24,000 per student yet ranks in the 60th percentile, while Sunset Elementary School spends about half that amount and is the #5 school in the state.

Charter schools like Somerset Academy Bay show remarkable improvement, jumping from rank #88 to #11, while others like Mater Preparatory Academy are among the lowest-performing, indicating that the charter model itself is not a silver bullet. The data also shows that K-8 centers and traditional elementary schools are represented at both the top and bottom of the rankings, with the key differentiators being chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic factors, not grade configuration. Notable data anomalies include student-teacher ratios of 121.1:1 at Pinecrest North Preparatory (Fontainebleau Campus) and 110.2:1 at Somerset Parkland Academy, which are likely reporting errors.