Myrtle Grove Elementary

Myrtle Grove Elementary is a small public school in Miami Gardens, FL, serving 154 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in a high-poverty community where about 79% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This school has undergone a remarkable turnaround in recent years, climbing from the 2nd percentile in state rankings during the 2021-2022 school year to the 38th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year—a gain of 36 percentile points that outpaces nearby schools like Golden Glades Elementary and Brentwood Elementary, which saw smaller improvements. The school now holds a 2-star rating, signaling a positive shift in direction.

One standout achievement is in 5th grade science, where Myrtle Grove students reached a 60% proficiency rate—exactly at the state average and slightly above the Miami-Dade district average of 59%. This is especially impressive compared to nearby schools like Crestview Elementary (39%) and Carol City Elementary (30%). The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $20,231 per pupil—the second-highest among comparable schools—and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1, which supports more individualized attention. Math scores are a relative strength, with 5th graders exceeding the state average (63% vs. 62%), while English Language Arts remains an area for growth, particularly in lower grades.

Chronic absenteeism has been a challenge, peaking at 37.7% in 2022-2023, but it has improved to 25.8% in 2023-2024, now better than both the district and state averages. This improvement, combined with the school's academic gains, suggests that interventions for students who attend are highly effective. While Myrtle Grove still lags behind top-performing magnet schools like North Dade Center For Modern Languages (99th percentile), its rapid progress in a high-poverty setting makes it a school to watch as a potential success story in the district.