Summary:
Zip code 33139 in Miami Beach is home to two public elementary schools, Miami Beach Feinberg/Fisher K-8 and Miami Beach South Pointe Elementary School, which serve grades PK-8 and PK-5 respectively, and are part of the Miami-Dade school district.
The most striking finding is the dramatic performance gap between these two schools, despite their similar location and nearly identical per-student spending (around $13,000). Miami Beach South Pointe Elementary School is a standout, consistently ranking in the top 30% of Florida elementary schools with a 4-star rating. Its students achieve proficiency rates in ELA and Math that far exceed district and state averages, such as 66% in 3rd grade ELA and 82% in 4th grade Math. In contrast, Miami Beach Feinberg/Fisher K-8 ranks in the bottom 10% of the state with a 0-star rating, and its early-grade proficiency rates are alarmingly low—only 29% in 3rd grade ELA and 31% in 4th grade Math. Chronic absenteeism is a key differentiator: South Pointe has a very low rate of 8.5%, while Feinberg/Fisher’s rate is 19.6%, more than double.
Feinberg/Fisher presents a complex "Jekyll and Hyde" profile. While its elementary grades struggle, its middle school students (grades 6-8) perform well above district averages in advanced subjects like Algebra 1 and Biology, with near-perfect proficiency rates. This suggests the school may have a strong program for its top middle school students but fails to build a solid foundation in the early years. South Pointe, by contrast, shows consistent excellence across all grades, with no weak links. For parents, South Pointe offers a reliably high-quality education, while Feinberg/Fisher requires careful consideration of its uneven performance, particularly for families with younger children.
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