Summary:
Zip code 33166, covering Doral and Miami Springs, Florida, is home to two high schools serving grades 6-12 and 9-12, offering a stark contrast in educational experiences within the Miami-Dade school district.
Downtown Doral Charter Upper School is the standout performer, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 91st percentile statewide. It boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate and exceptional academic proficiency, with 88% of 10th graders proficient in ELA and 84% in Algebra 1—far exceeding district and state averages. In contrast, Miami Springs Senior High School holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 29th percentile, with significantly lower proficiency rates (47% in ELA, 41% in Algebra 1). Despite spending $3,198 more per student ($11,946 vs. $8,748), Miami Springs struggles to meet benchmarks, highlighting a spending-versus-performance inversion. However, Miami Springs shows a positive trend with an improving state rank and a strong 98.1% graduation rate, well above the state average of 92.2%.
A key paradox emerges at Downtown Doral: despite its stellar outcomes, it has a chronic absenteeism rate of 53.7%, nearly double the state average and higher than Miami Springs' 40.2%. This suggests a lenient attendance policy or frequent enrichment-related absences that do not hinder academic success. Overall, families in this zip code face a clear choice between a high-performing charter school with low poverty rates (17.5% free/reduced lunch) and a traditional public school with higher poverty (55%) but improving metrics and a focus on graduation. The data underscores that higher spending does not guarantee better results, and that school culture and student demographics play a critical role in performance.
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