Mater Academy Bay Middle School

Mater Academy Bay Middle School in Cutler Bay, FL, is a high-performing public charter school serving 518 students in grades 6-8 within the Miami-Dade district, and it has earned a 5-star rating by ranking in the 96th percentile statewide.

This school stands out for its exceptional academic results, consistently outperforming both district and state averages across all subjects. For instance, 88-91% of students are proficient in math, and 85-91% are proficient in English Language Arts. In 8th grade science, Mater Academy Bay achieves an 80% proficiency rate, which is 31 points higher than the district average and a stark contrast to nearby schools like Cutler Bay Middle (43%) and Palmetto Middle (41%). The school also excels in advanced coursework, with 99% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 100% in Geometry and Biology 1. What makes this even more impressive is that Mater Academy Bay achieves these elite results with a student body where 52.7% qualify for free or reduced lunch, while a nearby top performer like Somerset Academy Bay Middle School has a much lower poverty rate (19.3%). This suggests Mater Academy Bay is particularly effective at driving success for a diverse range of students.

Beyond test scores, the school demonstrates strong operational health. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 16.4% is far lower than the district (28.2%) and state (31.4%) averages, and significantly better than nearby schools like Cutler Bay Middle (41.6%) and Richmond Heights Middle (43.9%). Mater Academy Bay also operates with notable efficiency, spending $10,034 per student—much less than lower-performing peers like Cutler Bay Middle ($16,185) and Redland Middle ($14,837). The school has shown a powerful upward trajectory, moving from the 77th percentile five years ago to its current 96th percentile ranking, indicating strong and sustained improvement under effective leadership.