Summary:
Zip code 33185 in Miami, Florida, is home to four high schools serving grades 6-12 or 9-12, all part of the Miami-Dade County Public School District, offering a diverse range of academic environments from a top-tier arts magnet to a struggling traditional school.
The standout school in the area is Miami Arts Studio 6-12 At Zelda Glazer, a 5-star school ranked in the top 5% of Florida high schools with a perfect 100% graduation rate and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.7%. In contrast, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High is the lowest-performing school, with a 2-star rating, a 44th percentile state rank, and the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 42.5%, despite having the highest per-student spending of $12,108. John A. Ferguson Senior High is the largest school with over 4,200 students and is a consistent 4-star performer, ranking in the top 25% of the state. Pinecrest Preparatory Academy Charter High School is a small, rising charter school with a 100% graduation rate and a 4-star rating, achieving strong results despite having the highest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (56.9%) and an unusually high student-teacher ratio of 52.9:1.
A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes, as seen with G. Holmes Braddock. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful predictor of performance, with the top school having the lowest absenteeism and the bottom school the highest. Pinecrest Prep’s success challenges the idea that small class sizes are essential, while Miami Arts Studio’s 6-12 structure shows the benefit of building a culture of achievement from middle school through high school. For parents, the choice is clear: Miami Arts Studio offers elite academics, John A. Ferguson provides large-scale consistency, Pinecrest Prep is a small overachiever, and G. Holmes Braddock requires careful consideration due to its struggles.
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