Somerset Academy Lakes

Somerset Academy Lakes is a K-5 elementary school in Miami, FL, serving 400 students within the Palm Beach school district, where 64% of students come from low-income families.

This school is on an upward trend, climbing from the 18th percentile in state rankings three years ago to the 42nd percentile today, showing that recent changes may be working. A standout strength is math: 4th and 5th graders scored 69% and 71% proficient, respectively, which actually beats the state average. However, science remains a persistent weakness, with only 47% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state's 60%. The school also struggles with inconsistent attendance, as chronic absenteeism has swung wildly from a low of 6% to a high of 26.7% in recent years.

What makes this school particularly interesting is how it compares to nearby schools. Just a mile or two away, Sunset Elementary School and Somerset Academy Elementary School (South Miami Campus) rank in the top 1% of all Florida elementary schools. For example, in 5th grade science, Somerset Academy Lakes scored 47% proficient, while Sunset Elementary hit 93% and Somerset South Miami reached 81%. This gap is partly tied to socioeconomic differences—only 6.6% of Sunset's students qualify for free lunch versus 64% at Somerset Lakes. Importantly, the "Somerset" name doesn't guarantee quality; these two schools, despite sharing a brand, have vastly different outcomes. This shows that parents should look closely at each campus's data rather than relying on a school's name alone.