Mater Gardens Academy

Summary:

Mater Gardens Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 801 students in grades K-8 in the predominantly Hispanic community of Hialeah, Florida. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the Miami-Dade and Florida state averages on standardized tests, ranking in the top 15% of elementary schools statewide.

Mater Gardens Academy's academic excellence is evident across key metrics. In the 2023-2024 school year, 82% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in FAST English Language Arts, compared to just 56% in Miami-Dade and 55% statewide. The school also maintains low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 3.8% to 12.1%, while nearby schools have rates as high as 27.1%. Additionally, Mater Gardens Academy serves a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (20.6%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 42.59% to 67.2%.

While Mater Gardens Academy outperforms the traditional public schools in the area, the nearby Somerset Academy Elementary (Miramar Campus) and Somerset Academy Miramar South charter schools also demonstrate strong academic results, with some even outperforming Mater Gardens Academy in certain areas. This suggests that the school's success may be attributed to a combination of factors, including its targeted approach to serving its predominantly Hispanic student population and its higher per-student spending compared to the traditional public schools.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 9010 NW 178th Ln
       Hialeah, FL  33018


(305) 512-9775

District: Miami-Dade

SchoolDigger Rank:
293rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,348 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  20.5 Help
Number of students:  801

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
95.8%
White:
2.4%
Asian:
1.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  20.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Mater Gardens Academy ranks better than 87% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 44th among 281 ranked elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.56. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95.8%), White (2.4%), Asian (1.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 20.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mater Gardens Academy is $10,348. 242 elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Mater Gardens Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Miami-Dade:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mater Gardens Academy.

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Rank History for Mater Gardens Academy

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 81.42 291st 1847 84.2%
2010 77.12 391st 1919 79.6%
2011 80.83 338th 1985 83.0%
2012 89.96 135th 1984 93.2%
2013 90.45 136th 2029 93.3%
2014 90.42 138th 2064 93.3%
2016 87.81 200th 2087 90.4%
2017 89.07 172nd 2112 91.9%
2018 90.50 139th 2118 93.4%
2019 88.64 195th 2182 91.1%
2021 84.84 304th 2247 86.5%
2022 90.98 153rd 2219 93.1%
2023 89.31 184th 2240 91.8%
2024 85.56 293rd 2256 87.0%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Mater Gardens Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, July 16, 2012

Open Quote My son will be starting Kindergarden in August 2012. So far my experiences have been very good with this school. I love the one on one communications and the curriculum. You can see that they truly care for their students. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, June 19, 2009

Open Quote Mater Gardens Academy is an exceptional school with very highly motivated teachers, the principal is not only accesible but also very compassionate and dedicated to meeting the needs of all the students Close Quote



Enrollment information for Mater Gardens Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2007 25 6 3 262 0 n/a n/a 5 301
2008 27 7 3 312 0 n/a n/a 3 352
2009 25 7 4 300 0 n/a n/a 3 339
2010 30 10 5 392 0 n/a n/a 0 437
2011 37 12 5 492 1 0 0 0 547
2012 32 10 6 497 1 0 0 0 546
2013 32 11 6 569 1 0 0 0 619
2014 20 7 6 533 0 0 0 0 566
2015 17 6 5 552 0 0 0 0 580
2016 17 5 3 548 0 0 0 0 573
2017 15 5 5 561 0 0 0 0 586
2018 12 5 5 574 0 0 0 0 596
2019 7 3 8 589 0 0 0 0 607
2020 12 3 10 776 0 0 1 0 802
2021 15 5 11 773 0 0 1 0 805
2022 18 4 9 770 0 0 1 0 802
2023 19 3 11 767 0 0 1 0 801

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 Mater Gardens Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 301 n/a n/a 37.8
2008 352 19.0 18.5 38.7
2009 339 21.1 16.1 38.7
2010 437 19.5 22.4 27.2
2011 547 26.0 21.0 48.3
2012 546 27.0 20.2 51.1
2013 619 34.0 18.2 17.9
2014 566 14.0 40.4 52.3
2015 580 28.0 20.7 52.8
2016 573 33.0 17.3 23.2
2017 586 36.0 16.2 51.2
2018 596 47.0 12.6 50.8
2019 607 31.0 19.5 48.9
2020 802 40.0 20.0 43.3
2021 805 n/a n/a 41.9
2022 802 39.0 20.5 63.3
2023 801 0.0 n/a 20.6

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 Mater Gardens Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 301 n/a n/a 37.8
2008 352 19.0 18.5 38.7
2009 339 21.1 16.1 38.7
2010 437 19.5 22.4 27.2
2011 547 26.0 21.0 48.3
2012 546 27.0 20.2 51.1
2013 619 34.0 18.2 17.9
2014 566 14.0 40.4 52.3
2015 580 28.0 20.7 52.8
2016 573 33.0 17.3 23.2
2017 586 36.0 16.2 51.2
2018 596 47.0 12.6 50.8
2019 607 31.0 19.5 48.9
2020 802 40.0 20.0 43.3
2021 805 n/a n/a 41.9
2022 802 39.0 20.5 63.3
2023 801 0.0 n/a 20.6

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 Mater Gardens Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $14 (0.2%) $8,262 (99.8%) $8,276
2019 $35 (0.4%) $8,686 (99.6%) $8,722
2020 $34 (0.4%) $8,424 (99.6%) $8,458
2021 $553 (6.6%) $7,809 (93.4%) $8,363
2022 $680 (7.3%) $8,574 (92.7%) $9,253
2023 $176 (1.7%) $10,172 (98.3%) $10,348

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mater Gardens Academy

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 195th of 2182 Elementary schoolsRanks 184th of 2240 Elementary schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mater Gardens Academy)8581
 4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)6056
 4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5853
 5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mater Gardens Academy)9285
 7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)6760
 7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)6258
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mater Gardens Academy)7287
 15%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)6462
 2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5857
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mater Gardens Academy)7579
 4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)6965
 4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6461
 3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mater Gardens Academy)7984
 5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)6059
 1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5655
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mater Gardens Academy)8769
 18%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)6554
 11%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6052
 8%
5th Grade Science (Mater Gardens Academy)7461
 13%
   5th Grade Science (Miami-Dade)5350
 3%
   5th Grade Science (Florida)5351
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students607801
 32%
African American33
American Indian00
Asian811
 37.5%
Hispanic589767
 30.2%
Pacific Islander00
White719
 171.4%
Two or More Races01
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.9%20.6%
 28.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Mater Gardens Academy

In the 2022-23 school year, 801 students attended Mater Gardens Academy.

Mater Gardens Academy ranks 293rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Mater Gardens Academy are 96% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian.


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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.





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