Tropical Elementary School

Q: Is Tropical Elementary School a good school?

Tropical Elementary School ranks 781 st of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Tropical Elementary School is a public elementary school in Miami, Florida, serving 396 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Miami-Dade school district, which is ranked 24th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Tropical Elementary School stands out for its significantly higher Hispanic student population, ranging from 94.91% to 96.88% over the past three school years, compared to the surrounding schools which have a more diverse racial makeup. The school has also experienced higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.3% to 30.8% over the past four school years, which is notably higher than the nearby schools. While the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Math are generally lower than the Miami-Dade and Florida state averages, there are some exceptions, such as the school's 4th-grade ELA proficiency rate of 85% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Tropical Elementary School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.13% to 83.89% over the past three school years, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students compared to the surrounding schools. The school also has a relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $17,394 to $20,743 over the past four school years, which is higher than the nearby schools. Interestingly, some of the nearby charter schools, such as True North Classical Academy at Pinecrest and True North Classical Academy at Gateway, have significantly higher test scores and overall performance, suggesting that the school's performance may be influenced by factors beyond just the school's resources and demographics.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4545 SW 104th Ave
Miami, FL 33165

(305) 221-0284

District: Miami-Dade

SchoolDigger Rank:
781^st of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,743

Students who attend Tropical Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Riviera Middle School
High:	Southwest Miami Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 396

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.5%

White:

2.5%

African American:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.1%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Tropical Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Tropical Elementary School ranks better than 65.4% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 114^th among 281 ranked elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.7. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (96.5%), White (2.5%), African American (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tropical Elementary School is 14.1, which is the 34^th best among 281 elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District. (See more...)

Compare Tropical Elementary School employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Tropical Elementary School is $20,743, which is the 11^th highest among 281 elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Tropical Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Miami-Dade:

SchoolDigger ranks Miami-Dade 24^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Tropical Elementary School.

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Rank History for Tropical Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	45.50	955^th	1688	43.4%
2007	25.84	1405^th	1786	21.3%
2008	33.04	1283^rd	1789	28.3%
2009	27.32	1442^nd	1847	21.9%
2010	49.62	1041^st	1919	45.8%
2011	49.33	1065^th	1985	46.3%
2012	56.42	870^th	1984	56.1%
2013	41.73	1190^th	2029	41.4%
2014	56.97	886^th	2064	57.1%
2016	43.38	1184^th	2087	43.3%
2017	41.46	1243^rd	2112	41.1%
2018	55.41	903^rd	2118	57.4%
2019	43.08	1241^st	2182	43.1%
2021	61.90	810^th	2247	64.0%
2022	44.20	1220^th	2219	45.0%
2023	32.94	1526^th	2240	31.9%
2024	63.70	781^st	2256	65.4%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 8, 2011

I love the school, teachers, and staff. I myself attended Tropical...and loved it. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Tropical Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	140	17	2	449	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
1989	156	27	2	488	0	n/a	n/a	0	673
1990	155	28	6	544	0	n/a	n/a	0	733
1991	148	24	5	437	0	n/a	n/a	0	614
1992	164	28	7	459	0	n/a	n/a	0	658
1993	165	27	5	457	0	n/a	n/a	0	654
1994	147	24	11	444	0	n/a	n/a	0	626
1995	131	28	9	459	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
1996	131	28	9	459	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
1997	113	21	7	466	0	n/a	n/a	0	607
1998	106	24	11	505	0	n/a	n/a	0	646
1999	96	26	16	522	0	n/a	n/a	0	660
2000	88	30	13	532	0	n/a	n/a	0	663
2001	64	25	13	529	0	n/a	n/a	0	631
2002	55	16	14	502	0	n/a	n/a	0	587
2003	55	16	14	502	0	n/a	n/a	0	587
2004	46	16	6	488	0	n/a	n/a	0	556
2005	45	13	5	480	0	n/a	n/a	0	543
2006	43	12	4	464	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
2007	40	11	4	410	0	n/a	n/a	4	469
2008	29	8	4	440	0	n/a	n/a	4	485
2009	32	5	2	432	0	n/a	n/a	4	475
2010	27	4	4	426	0	n/a	n/a	0	461
2011	21	5	4	427	0	0	0	0	457
2012	18	2	1	415	0	0	0	0	436
2013	20	8	0	465	0	0	0	0	493
2014	14	8	0	457	0	0	0	0	479
2015	12	9	4	416	1	0	0	0	442
2016	7	11	2	393	1	0	0	0	414
2017	8	14	2	406	1	0	0	0	431
2018	10	8	5	409	1	0	0	0	433
2019	11	6	4	407	1	0	0	0	429
2020	8	5	3	409	1	0	1	0	427
2021	7	4	2	403	0	0	0	0	416
2022	14	2	3	354	0	0	0	0	373
2023	10	3	1	382	0	0	0	0	396

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Tropical Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	608	50.0	12.1	33.2
1989	673	53.0	12.6	30.9
1990	733	61.0	12.0	36.7
1991	614	56.0	10.9	35.7
1992	658	56.0	11.7	35.4
1993	654	55.0	11.9	37.6
1994	626	58.0	10.8	38.5
1995	627	59.0	10.6	46.7
1996	627	59.0	10.6	46.7
1997	607	57.0	10.6	41.2
1998	646	63.0	10.3	41.5
1999	660	64.0	10.3	53.3
2000	663	61.0	10.9	55.8
2001	631	61.0	10.3	57.4
2002	587	59.0	9.9	64.1
2003	587	59.0	9.9	64.1
2004	556	59.0	9.4	73.7
2005	543	64.0	8.5	73.7
2006	523	68.0	7.7	71.1
2007	469	49.0	9.6	69.9
2008	485	61.5	7.9	67.6
2009	475	56.7	8.4	66
2010	461	52.5	8.7	79.2
2011	457	52.0	8.7	76.4
2012	436	54.0	8.0	78.7
2013	493	41.0	12.0	79.9
2014	479	41.0	11.6	81.2
2015	442	37.0	11.9	80.5
2016	414	33.0	12.5	84.5
2017	431	31.0	13.9	82.8
2018	433	34.0	12.7	81.5
2019	429	34.0	12.6	81.6
2020	427	34.0	12.5	82
2021	416	34.0	12.2	83.9
2022	373	29.0	12.8	79.4
2023	396	28.0	14.1	63.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Tropical Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	608	50.0	12.1	33.2
1989	673	53.0	12.6	30.9
1990	733	61.0	12.0	36.7
1991	614	56.0	10.9	35.7
1992	658	56.0	11.7	35.4
1993	654	55.0	11.9	37.6
1994	626	58.0	10.8	38.5
1995	627	59.0	10.6	46.7
1996	627	59.0	10.6	46.7
1997	607	57.0	10.6	41.2
1998	646	63.0	10.3	41.5
1999	660	64.0	10.3	53.3
2000	663	61.0	10.9	55.8
2001	631	61.0	10.3	57.4
2002	587	59.0	9.9	64.1
2003	587	59.0	9.9	64.1
2004	556	59.0	9.4	73.7
2005	543	64.0	8.5	73.7
2006	523	68.0	7.7	71.1
2007	469	49.0	9.6	69.9
2008	485	61.5	7.9	67.6
2009	475	56.7	8.4	66
2010	461	52.5	8.7	79.2
2011	457	52.0	8.7	76.4
2012	436	54.0	8.0	78.7
2013	493	41.0	12.0	79.9
2014	479	41.0	11.6	81.2
2015	442	37.0	11.9	80.5
2016	414	33.0	12.5	84.5
2017	431	31.0	13.9	82.8
2018	433	34.0	12.7	81.5
2019	429	34.0	12.6	81.6
2020	427	34.0	12.5	82
2021	416	34.0	12.2	83.9
2022	373	29.0	12.8	79.4
2023	396	28.0	14.1	63.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Tropical Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$2,196 (13.7%)	$13,788 (86.3%)	$15,984
2019	$1,665 (10.6%)	$14,101 (89.4%)	$15,765
2020	$1,802 (10.4%)	$15,592 (89.6%)	$17,394
2021	$3,213 (17.3%)	$15,411 (82.7%)	$18,624
2022	$4,161 (20.5%)	$16,173 (79.5%)	$20,335
2023	$4,697 (22.6%)	$16,046 (77.4%)	$20,743

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Tropical Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1241^st of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1526^th of 2240 Elementary schools	11.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tropical Elementary School)	74	39	35%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	60	56	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Tropical Elementary School)	77	53	24%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	67	60	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Tropical Elementary School)	44	56	12%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	64	62	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Tropical Elementary School)	51	54	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	69	65	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Tropical Elementary School)	41	51	10%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	60	59	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Tropical Elementary School)	43	56	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	65	54	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Tropical Elementary School)	37	42	5%
5th Grade Science (Miami-Dade)	53	50	3%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	429	396	7.7%
African American	6	3	50%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	407	382	6.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	11	10	9.1%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.6%	63.1%	18.5%

Schools Near Tropical Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Tropical Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4545 SW 104th Ave	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 221-0284	396	28	14.1	63.1%	10 (2.5%)	3 (0.8%)	382 (96.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63.7	781^st of 2256 public elementary schools	65.4%		32.9	1526^th of 2240 public elementary schools	31.9%	745	59.0	85.0	42.0				73.0	71.0	55.0				55.0					$20,743	$4,697	$16,046
Pinecrest Cove Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4101 SW 107th Ave	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(305) 480-2097	947	46	20.5	55.2%	16 (1.7%)	5 (0.5%)	923 (97.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	89.3	204^th of 2256 public elementary schools	91.0%		87.4	236^th of 2240 public elementary schools	89.5%	32	80.0	79.0	76.0	89.0	85.0	81.0	86.0	84.0	69.0	79.0	38.0	94.0	69.0	64.0	97.0	96.0	89.0	$9,147	$1,719	$7,429
Bridgeprep Academy South	Public, Charter	K-8	10700 SW 56th St	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(305) 271-3109	436	28	15.5	4.4%	13 (3.0%)	6 (1.4%)	416 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	63.7	780^th of 2256 public elementary schools	65.4%		56.7	925^th of 2240 public elementary schools	58.7%	145	69.0	46.0	76.0	50.0	52.0	58.0	82.0	55.0	71.0	55.0	43.0	82.0	64.0	19.0	94.0	91.0	72.0	$9,365	$653	$8,712
Olympia Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9797 SW 40th St	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 221-3821	316	22	14.3	77.5%	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.3%)	309 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.2	1238^th of 2256 public elementary schools	45.1%		54.9	975^th of 2240 public elementary schools	56.5%	263	48.0	48.0	38.0				76.0	67.0	48.0				42.0					$17,375	$2,968	$14,406
Royal Palm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4200 SW 112th Ct	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 221-7961	461	33	13.9	72.5%	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	448 (97.2%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68.9	663^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	70.6%		81	388^th of 2240 public elementary schools	82.7%	275	58.0	49.0	62.0				80.0	66.0	59.0				74.0					$14,475	$2,498	$11,977
Cypress K-8 Center	Public	PK, KG-8	5400 SW 112th Ct	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 271-1611	390	22	17.7	62.8%	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.0%)	381 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46.5	1186^th of 2256 public elementary schools	47.4%		40.7	1319^th of 2240 public elementary schools	41.1%	133	42.0	46.0	42.0	68.0	57.0	61.0	46.0	61.0	42.0	74.0	57.0	65.0	47.0	51.0	81.0		80.0	$15,416	$2,555	$12,862
Snapper Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10151 SW 64th St	Miami	33173	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 271-2111	371	31	11.9	56.3%	16 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	347 (93.5%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	83.1	338^th of 2256 public elementary schools	85.0%		83.1	337^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.0%	1	58.0	64.0	76.0				86.0	66.0	88.0				84.0					$19,442	$3,341	$16,101
Rockway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2790 SW 93rd Ct	Miami	33165	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 221-1192	337	20	16.8	60.8%	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	328 (97.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69	659^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.8%		70.3	625^th of 2240 public elementary schools	72.1%	34	57.0	54.0	65.0				57.0	73.0	71.0				62.0					$13,942	$2,536	$11,405
True North Classical Academy At Pinecrest	Public, Charter	K-8	7500 SW 120th Street	Pinecrest	33156	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(786) 840-9333	70	4	17.5	4.3%	13 (18.6%)	1 (1.4%)	54 (77.1%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98.1	7^th of 2256 public elementary schools	99.7%					(n/a)	100.0	85.0	87.0				97.0	95.0	90.0				95.0
True North Classical Academy At Gateway	Public, Charter	K-8	6500 SW 97th Avenue	Miami	33173	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(786) 788-5600	281	13	21.6	1.1%	29 (10.3%)	5 (1.8%)	244 (86.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	97.5	14^th of 2256 public elementary schools	99.4%		98	9^th of 2240 public elementary schools	99.6%	5	92.0	84.0	88.0				97.0	91.0	93.0				83.0					$10,862	$1,882	$8,979

Frequently Asked Questions about Tropical Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Tropical Elementary School?

Students at Tropical Elementary School are 96% Hispanic, 3% White.

Is Tropical Elementary School a good school?

Tropical Elementary School ranks 781^st of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Tropical Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 396 students attended Tropical Elementary School.

What district is Tropical Elementary School in?

Miami-Dade

What schools do graduates of Tropical Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Tropical Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Riviera Middle School
High : Southwest Miami Senior High

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.