Summary:
This analysis examines four middle schools in the 33172 zip code of Doral and Miami, Florida, all part of the Miami-Dade County Public School District, revealing a dramatic range in academic performance and student demographics within a small geographic area.
The standout performer is Doral Academy Of Technology, ranked 5th in Florida with a perfect 5-star rating and near-100% proficiency in most subjects, despite having the lowest spending per student ($6,621) and an extremely high student-teacher ratio of 57.6:1. Its sister school, Doral Academy Charter Middle School, is also a top performer (31st in the state) with over 85% proficiency in all subjects and a 5-star rating. In stark contrast, Ruben Dario Middle School ranks 754th in the state with a 2-star rating, the highest chronic absenteeism rate (29.2%), and the highest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (51.45%), despite spending the most per student ($11,916). Just Arts And Management Charter Middle School performs well, ranking 38th in the state (97th percentile) with a 12% chronic absenteeism rate.
The key takeaway is that spending does not guarantee success; the lowest-spending schools outperform the highest-spending one. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful indicator of school health, perfectly mirroring performance rankings. The data also shows that the "charter" label alone does not ensure quality, as these four charter schools span the entire performance spectrum. For parents, this zip code offers a clear choice between elite, high-performing academies and a struggling school, with socioeconomic factors and student engagement appearing to be stronger predictors of success than funding or class size.
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