Best Public Schools in Zip Code 33143

Zip code 33143 in Miami/South Miami, FL, is home to 20 schools spanning elementary through high school, featuring a mix of traditional public schools and a dense cluster of charter schools, many located at a single "school hub" address, creating a diverse educational landscape with wide variations in performance and socioeconomic demographics.

The standout schools in this area are dominated by the "Somerset South Miami" campus and Sunset Elementary School. Somerset Academy Elementary School (South Miami Campus) and Somerset Academy Charter Middle School (South Miami Campus) are exceptional, ranking in the top 1-2% of Florida schools with near-perfect test scores and an incredibly low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.8%. Sunset Elementary is the top traditional public school, ranking in the top 1% of Florida elementary schools with over 90% proficiency in most subjects. In stark contrast, Somerset Academy Key Charter High School is the lowest-performing high school in the zip code, ranking in the bottom 30% of Florida high schools with a 1-star rating and a staggering 56.9% chronic absenteeism rate. Other low performers include Mater Lakes Collegiate Academy High School and Somerset Academy Key Middle School, which, despite a very low poverty rate, ranks in the bottom 25% of Florida middle schools.

Chronic absenteeism emerges as the strongest predictor of school quality, with every school below a 10% rate being a top performer and every school above 40% being a low performer. Socioeconomic status is not a simple determinant, as International Studies Academy High School achieves a 100% graduation rate and a 3-star rating despite a 58.55% free/reduced lunch rate. Spending per student varies widely, from $7,434 to $17,446, but does not correlate with performance, as the top-spending Ludlam Elementary School is only a mid-tier performer. The "Sunset Drive" charter hub at 6340 Sunset Dr is a microcosm of this inequality, housing both a top-1% elementary school and a bottom-30% high school, making it essential for parents to research individual schools rather than relying on the charter network's reputation.