Citrus Grove K-8 Center

Citrus Grove K-8 Center is a large public school in Miami, FL, serving 1,583 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade as part of the Miami-Dade school district, but it faces significant challenges that set it apart from nearby schools.

The most critical issue at Citrus Grove is a severe academic crisis, with proficiency rates in core subjects like English and math far below district and state averages. For example, only 22% of 3rd graders were proficient in English language arts, compared to 64% district-wide. This is starkly different from Mater Academy Kiwanis, less than a mile away, where 74% of 3rd graders are proficient in English. A major driver of this low performance is an alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 40.6%, nearly double the district average and far above nearby schools like Kensington Park Elementary School (24.8%) and Lincoln-Marti Charter School (Little Havana Campus) (23.6%). Interestingly, the school spends $13,692 per student, more than several higher-performing neighbors, suggesting the problem isn't funding but rather how resources are used amid the attendance crisis.

Despite these struggles, Citrus Grove shows a puzzling strength in advanced courses: 96% of students were proficient in Algebra 1 and 100% in Biology 1, far exceeding district averages. This creates a "two-schools" dynamic where a select group of students excels while the majority falls behind. There is a glimmer of hope in early-grade math, where 41% of 3rd graders were proficient, though still below the district's 72%. The success of Mater Academy Kiwanis, which serves a more economically disadvantaged population yet achieves top performance, shows that improvement is possible with a focus on attendance and school culture.