Best Public Schools in Zip Code 33162

The nine public schools in zip code 33162 (North Miami Beach, FL) are part of the Miami-Dade County Public School District and serve students from elementary through high school, presenting a landscape of stark contrasts where a single middle school dramatically outperforms its peers while one high school faces a severe crisis.

The standout performer is John F. Kennedy Middle School, which consistently exceeds district and state averages in core subjects like Algebra 1 (79% proficiency) and Biology 1 (94% proficiency), despite a moderate economic disadvantage rate and a relatively low per-student spend of $9,456. In stark contrast, C. G. Bethel High School is in a state of crisis, with a 91.4% chronic absenteeism rate, a 51.9% graduation rate, and single-digit proficiency scores in most subjects. Meanwhile, North Miami Beach Senior High and Sports Leadership Arts Management Charter High School (North) present a paradox: both boast graduation rates over 97%, yet their academic proficiency on state exams falls below district averages, suggesting a focus on graduation over grade-level mastery. The four elementary schools—Oak Grove Elementary School, Greynolds Park Elementary School, Fulford Elementary School, and Gertrude K. Edelman/Sabal Palm—offer consistent, stable performance without standout highs or lows.

Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism is the most critical differentiator, averaging 58.2% across high schools versus just 21.0% at elementary and middle schools. Spending does not correlate with success, as C. G. Bethel High School spends $12,076 per student with poor outcomes, while John F. Kennedy Middle School achieves excellence on $9,456. Charter schools like Sports Leadership Arts Management Charter High School (North) and Sports Leadership And Management (Slam) Middle School - North have notably high student-teacher ratios (39.7:1 and 38.4:1 respectively), more than double the average of other area schools, which may impact individual attention. For families, the choice is high-stakes: a stable elementary foundation leads to a high-performing middle school, but high school options range from high-graduation, lower-proficiency paths to a school in severe distress.