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Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary

Q: Is Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary a good school?

Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary ranks 464 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

464^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary is a public elementary school in Miami, Florida, serving 585 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Miami-Dade school district, which is ranked 22 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary consistently outperforms the Miami-Dade and Florida state averages in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Math, and Science across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd-5th grade proficiency rates were significantly higher than the district and state, with 3rd grade Math at 81% proficient (vs. 69% Miami-Dade and 63% Florida), and 5th grade Science at 67% proficient (vs. 56% Miami-Dade and 55% Florida). The school's performance has been strong over the past several years, ranking between the top 212 and 742 elementary schools in Florida from 2018-2019 to 2022-2023.

However, Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 19.8% in 2021-2022 to 31.4% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school serves a relatively high-need population, with 57.26% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average. Despite these socioeconomic challenges, the school's academic performance remains strong, outperforming most of the nearby schools, such as Village Green Elementary School, Greenglade Elementary School, and Zora Neale Hurston Elementary School.

540

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,988

Per pupil spending ?

52.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

851 SW 117th Ave
Miami, FL 33184

(305) 552-7122

District: Miami-Dade

Students who attend Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary usually attend:

High:

Miami Coral Park Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.1%

Asian:

3.1%

White:

1.7%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 78th percentile in 2014 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (71% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Florida elementary schools

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg62%

Florida avg58%

464^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

73^rd of 278Elementary Schools in the Miami-Dade

22^nd of 67Miami-Dade among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	464 of 2258	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	67.1	697 of 2256	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.9	742 of 2240	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.8	483 of 2219	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	67.7	695 of 2247	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	88.0	212 of 2182	90.3%	★★★★★
2018	87.6	217 of 2118	89.8%	★★★★☆
2017	81.3	350 of 2112	83.4%	★★★★☆
2016	75.5	480 of 2087	77.0%	★★★★☆
2014	75.6	448 of 2064	78.3%	★★★★☆
2013	83.9	265 of 2029	86.9%	★★★★☆
2012	88.1	170 of 1984	91.4%	★★★★★
2011	86.9	180 of 1985	90.9%	★★★★★
2010	72.0	521 of 1919	72.9%	★★★★☆
2009	53.8	904 of 1847	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	55.3	842 of 1789	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	42.9	1077 of 1786	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.3	1042 of 1688	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Math81%+20 vs state

Science67%+12 vs state

English Language Arts63%+6 vs state

2.7

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 10, 2022

This school is an overrated school. Despite having an A rating the school curriculum and competency of teachers are very very poor. Close Quote

Schools Near Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)			FAST Math (2025)				Statewide Science Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	851 SW 117th Ave	Miami	33184	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 552-7122	540	36	15.0	52.2%	9 (1.7%)	4 (0.7%)	508 (94.1%)	17 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	77.3	464^th of 2258 public elementary schools	79.5%		67.1	697^th of 2256 public elementary schools	69.1%	233	67.0	57.0	63.0	81.0	82.0	79.0		67.0	$15,988	$1,670	$14,318
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11901 SW 2nd St	Miami	33184	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 226-4356	554	38	14.5	45.1%	10 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	536 (96.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	84.8	294^th of 2258 public elementary schools	87.0%		77.7	463^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	79.5%	169	67.0	63.0	77.0	80.0	84.0	89.0		77.0	$16,030	$1,307	$14,722
Sweetwater Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10655 SW 4th St	Miami	33174	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 559-1101	463	31	14.9	55.5%	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	455 (98.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.2	1352^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	40.1%		38.1	1393^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	38.3%	41	44.0	44.0	49.0	65.0	56.0	56.0		48.0	$14,828	$1,386	$13,443
Wesley Matthews Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12345 SW 18th Ter	Miami	33175	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 222-8150	490	36	13.6	55.1%	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	481 (98.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	68.2	683^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	69.8%		81.9	359^th of 2256 public elementary schools	84.1%	324	65.0	63.0	56.0	73.0	75.0	65.0		59.0	$14,842	$1,371	$13,470
Pinecrest Academy (North Campus)	Public, Charter	K-8	10207 W Flagler St	Miami	33174	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(305) 553-9762	468	24	19.5	65.4%	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	450 (96.2%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)								(n/a)	94.0			98.0					$10,795	$135	$10,660
Village Green Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12265 SW 34th St	Miami	33175	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 226-0441	264	15	17.6	49.6%	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	260 (98.5%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.1	662^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	70.7%		69.5	647^th of 2256 public elementary schools	71.3%	15	56.0	77.0	62.0	59.0	94.0	65.0		62.0	$17,221	$1,637	$15,585
Greenglade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3060 SW 127th Ave	Miami	33175	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 223-5330	293	21	13.9	52.9%	7 (2.4%)	4 (1.4%)	277 (94.5%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.7	742^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	67.1%		46.9	1178^th of 2256 public elementary schools	47.8%	436	74.0	59.0	60.0	72.0	63.0	66.0		55.0	$17,529	$1,619	$15,910
Zora Neale Hurston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13137 SW 26th St	Miami	33175	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 222-8152	459	32	14.3	45.1%	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	451 (98.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.2	511^th of 2258 public elementary schools	77.4%		59.1	882^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	60.9%	371	59.0	74.0	64.0	70.0	82.0	76.0		62.0	$17,205	$1,326	$15,879
E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	330 NW 97th Ave	Miami	33172	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 226-7001	611	39	15.6	50.7%	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	590 (96.6%)	15 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.1	685^th of 2258 public elementary schools	69.7%		64.8	756^th of 2256 public elementary schools	66.5%	71	54.0	61.0	64.0	71.0	75.0	68.0	100.0	62.0	$14,308	$1,345	$12,962
Coral Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1225 SW 97th Ave	Miami	33174	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 221-5632	782	51	15.3	46.3%	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	757 (96.8%)	15 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	81.3	384^th of 2258 public elementary schools	83.0%		71.8	601^st of 2256 public elementary schools	73.4%	217	68.0	73.0	69.0	70.0	75.0	82.0		74.0	$14,368	$1,603	$12,765

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary?

Students at Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary are 94% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Miami Coral Park Senior High

How many students attend Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 540 students attended Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary.

What district is Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary in?

Miami-Dade

Is Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary a good school?

Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary ranks 464^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.