Mater Academy Lakes Middle School

Mater Academy Lakes Middle School in Hialeah, FL, is a high-performing public charter school serving 870 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Miami-Dade school district, and it consistently earns a 4-star rating despite serving a predominantly low-income population where 68% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school stands out for its exceptional academic results, especially when compared to nearby schools. In core subjects, Mater Academy Lakes achieves proficiency rates of 81% in 6th-grade ELA and 82% in 8th-grade math, which are dramatically higher than schools like Palm Springs Middle School (30% in 6th-grade ELA) and Lake Stevens Middle School (37% in 8th-grade math). The school also excels in advanced coursework, with a 100% proficiency rate in Geometry and 94% in Biology 1, far outpacing peers like Country Club Middle School (53% Geometry). Additionally, the school has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 22.4%, compared to 39.8% at Country Club Middle and 36.5% at Hialeah Gardens Middle School, indicating a more engaged student body.

One of the most interesting findings is that Mater Academy Lakes achieves these results with a relatively low per-student spending of $9,832, which is significantly less than lower-performing schools like Palm Springs Middle ($18,608) and Lawton Chiles Middle School ($14,663). However, its "sister school," Mater Academy Charter Middle School, outperforms it in some math metrics despite serving a more disadvantaged population. While Mater Academy Lakes is a top-tier choice in the Miami-Dade area, it still trails the region's absolute best, such as Somerset Academy Middle (Miramar Campus) in Broward, which is a 5-star school with near-perfect scores and a 0.5% chronic absenteeism rate. One area for improvement is 8th-grade science, where proficiency is 58%, though this still exceeds district and state averages.