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Mater Gardens Academy

Q: Is Mater Gardens Academy a good school?

Mater Gardens Academy ranks 273 rd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

273^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 88% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Mater Gardens Academy is a public elementary school (K-8) in Hialeah, FL, serving 803 students within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district, and it consistently ranks among the top 10-15% of elementary schools in Florida.

This school is a standout for its exceptional academic performance, with proficiency rates in 3rd and 4th grade math and ELA that are 15-20 percentage points higher than both the district and state averages. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency is 87%, compared to the district's 72%. What truly sets Mater Gardens Academy apart is its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 12.3%—less than half the district rate of 28.2% and far below the state average of 31.4%. This suggests a highly engaged student body and a strong school culture. The school also achieves these top-tier results with impressive efficiency, spending only $10,276 per student, which is lower than every nearby comparable school, including the high-performing Hive Preparatory School (which spends $12,626 per student and has a higher absenteeism rate of 23.5%).

While nearby Somerset Academy Miramar South shows perfect test scores, its very small enrollment of 215 students makes Mater Gardens Academy's strong, consistent, and more "normal" data profile—with scores in the 70s and 80s—arguably more credible and indicative of a replicable, high-quality educational model. Mater Gardens Academy is a stable, high-value option for families, demonstrating that a school can achieve excellence with a highly engaged student body and efficient resource management.

803

Students ?

200.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,276

Per pupil spending ?

57.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9010 NW 178th Ln
Hialeah, FL 33018

(305) 512-9775

District: Miami-Dade

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.9%

White:

2.1%

Asian:

1.4%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Mater Gardens Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (79% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Florida elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Miami-Dade

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 201 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg66%

Florida avg62%

273^rd of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

47^th of 281Elementary Schools in the Miami-Dade

20^th of 70Miami-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
2026	84.5	273 of 2240	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	87.3	240 of 2258	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.6	293 of 2256	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	89.3	184 of 2240	91.8%	★★★★★
2022	91.0	153 of 2219	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	84.8	304 of 2247	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	88.6	195 of 2182	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	90.5	139 of 2118	93.4%	★★★★★
2017	89.1	172 of 2112	91.9%	★★★★★
2016	87.8	200 of 2087	90.4%	★★★★★
2014	90.4	138 of 2064	93.3%	★★★★★
2013	90.4	136 of 2029	93.3%	★★★★★
2012	90.0	135 of 1984	93.2%	★★★★★
2011	80.8	338 of 1985	83.0%	★★★★☆
2010	77.1	391 of 1919	79.6%	★★★★☆
2009	81.4	291 of 1847	84.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math83%+19 vs state

English Language Arts79%+19 vs state

Science65%+5 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, July 16, 2012

My son will be starting Kindergarden in August 2012. So far my experiences have been very good with this school. I love the one on one communications and the curriculum. You can see that they truly care for their students. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, June 19, 2009

Mater Gardens Academy is an exceptional school with very highly motivated teachers, the principal is not only accesible but also very compassionate and dedicated to meeting the needs of all the students Close Quote

Schools Near Mater Gardens Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)						FAST Math (2026)						Statewide Science Science (2026)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mater Gardens Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	9010 NW 178th Ln	Hialeah	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(305) 512-9775	803	4	200.7	57.8%	17 (2.1%)	4 (0.5%)	770 (95.9%)	11 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84.5	273^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	87.8%		87.3	240^th of 2258 public elementary schools	89.4%	33	81.0	80.0	77.0				87.0	86.0	78.0				65.0						$10,276	$114	$10,162
Palm Springs North K-8 Center	Public	PK, KG-8	17615 NW 82nd Ave	Hialeah	33015	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 821-4631	1,422	80	17.7	45.3%	28 (2.0%)	28 (2.0%)	1,355 (95.3%)	11 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63	813^th of 2240 public elementary schools	63.7%		69.2	660^th of 2258 public elementary schools	70.8%	153	69.0	52.0	63.0	75.0	64.0		75.0	69.0	63.0	84.0	71.0		62.0		100.0			82.0	$10,684	$999	$9,685
Spanish Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7940 NW 194th St	Hialeah	33015	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 816-0300	1,138	65	17.5	48.9%	12 (1.1%)	33 (2.9%)	1,081 (95.0%)	12 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.9	961^st of 2240 public elementary schools	57.1%		62.4	815^th of 2258 public elementary schools	63.9%	146	58.0	61.0	57.0				75.0	75.0	70.0	100.0			49.0						$12,684	$1,439	$11,243
Coral Cove Academy Of Arts	Public	PK, KG-8	5100 SW 148th Ave	Miramar	33027	Broward County	Broward	No	No	No	Yes	(754) 323-7950	417	23	18.1	30.9%	27 (6.5%)	151 (36.2%)	202 (48.4%)	26 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	71	605^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.0%		80.6	396^th of 2258 public elementary schools	82.5%	209	68.0	59.0	79.0	70.0			81.0	70.0	81.0	80.0			61.0						$15,748	$1,962	$13,786
West Lakes Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	13835 NW 97th Ave	Hialeah	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 827-3025	594	37	16.0	34.0%	17 (2.9%)	34 (5.7%)	524 (88.2%)	19 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.7	1054^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.9%		59.3	897^th of 2258 public elementary schools	60.3%	157	57.0	57.0	55.0	74.0	76.0	69.0	65.0	84.0	60.0	70.0	40.0	37.0	50.0	50.0	89.0	92.0	100.0	85.0	$12,227	$982	$11,245
Somerset Academy (Miramar Campus)	Public, Charter	K-5	12601 Somerset Blvd	Miramar	33027	Broward County	Broward	Yes	No	No	Yes	(305) 829-2406	517	31	16.6	62.7%	37 (7.2%)	133 (25.7%)	322 (62.3%)	19 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	87.2	205^th of 2240 public elementary schools	90.8%		93.7	63^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	97.2%	142	86.0	87.0	81.0				92.0	85.0	80.0				63.0						$9,241	$573	$8,669
Somerset Academy Miramar South	Public, Charter	K-5	12425 SW 53rd St	Miramar	33025	Broward County	Broward	Yes	No	No	Yes	(305) 829-2406	215	11	19.5	53.0%	15 (7.0%)	48 (22.3%)	133 (61.9%)	13 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	98.8	1^st of 2240 public elementary schools	100.0%		99	1^st of 2258 public elementary schools	100.0%		100.0	100.0	100.0				100.0	100.0	100.0				100.0						$10,079	$495	$9,584
Joella C. Good Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6350 NW 188th Ter	Hialeah	33015	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	Yes	No	Yes	(305) 625-2008	941	56	16.8	52.4%	12 (1.3%)	109 (11.6%)	804 (85.4%)	15 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	83.1	310^th of 2240 public elementary schools	86.2%		84	314^th of 2258 public elementary schools	86.1%	4	73.0	75.0	77.0				81.0	90.0	74.0				71.0						$12,699	$1,418	$11,281
Dolphin Bay Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16450 Miramar Pkwy	Miramar	33027	Broward County	Broward	No	No	No	Yes	(754) 323-8000	544	30	18.1	34.4%	52 (9.6%)	188 (34.6%)	253 (46.5%)	33 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.3%)	76.3	473^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	78.9%		82.9	341^st of 2258 public elementary schools	84.9%	132	68.0	70.0	77.0				69.0	80.0	71.0				74.0						$14,737	$2,282	$12,454
Hialeah Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9702 NW 130th St	Hialeah Gardens	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 827-8830	995	77	12.9	50.9%	21 (2.1%)	10 (1.0%)	949 (95.4%)	15 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66	727^th of 2240 public elementary schools	67.5%		66.3	727^th of 2258 public elementary schools	67.8%		73.0	64.0	66.0				81.0	85.0	64.0				46.0						$17,784	$2,109	$15,675

Frequently Asked Questions about Mater Gardens Academy

What is the racial makeup of Mater Gardens Academy?

Students at Mater Gardens Academy are 96% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Mater Gardens Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 803 students attended Mater Gardens Academy.

What district is Mater Gardens Academy in?

Miami-Dade

Is Mater Gardens Academy a good school?

Mater Gardens Academy ranks 273^rd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Mater Gardens Academy!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewAug 18, 2026

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

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.