West Lakes Preparatory Academy

Q: Is West Lakes Preparatory Academy a good school?

West Lakes Preparatory Academy ranks 597 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Lakes Preparatory Academy is a public elementary and middle school in Hialeah, Florida, serving 533 students in grades PK-8. This school consistently outperforms the Miami-Dade and Florida state averages on standardized tests, including End of Course (EOC) exams, Statewide Science, and the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) for English Language Arts and Math.

For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, West Lakes Preparatory Academy had 66% proficiency in EOC/Algebra 1, compared to 61% for Miami-Dade and 55% for Florida. In EOC/Geometry, the school had 100% proficiency, significantly higher than the Miami-Dade (56%) and Florida (53%) averages. The school also excels in Statewide Science/Science for 5th grade, with 66% proficiency, compared to 53% for both Miami-Dade and Florida. Additionally, West Lakes Preparatory Academy has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (17.9%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 19.3% to 30.3%.

While West Lakes Preparatory Academy outperforms the nearby schools, such as Mater Gardens Academy and Bob Graham Education Center, in many metrics, the Hialeah area has a mix of high-performing and average-performing schools. West Lakes Preparatory Academy stands out as one of the stronger performers in the region, with its effective strategies and resource allocation contributing to a positive learning environment for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

8435 W 36th Ave
Hialeah, FL 33018

(305) 827-3025

District: Miami-Dade

SchoolDigger Rank:
597^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,274

Students who attend West Lakes Preparatory Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Lawton Chiles Middle School
High:	Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 545

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.8%

African American:

6.4%

White:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Lakes Preparatory Academy ranks better than 73.5% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 83^rd among 281 ranked elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.86. (See more...)

Compare Details West Lakes Preparatory Academy ranks better than 71.4% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.81. (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 (86.8%), African American (6.4%), White (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Lakes Preparatory Academy is 14.7, which is the 49^th best among 281 elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District. (See more...)

Compare West Lakes Preparatory Academy employs 37 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Lakes Preparatory Academy is $13,274, which is the 140^th highest among 281 elementary schools in the Miami-Dade School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Lakes Preparatory Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks West Lakes Preparatory Academy 342^nd of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See West Lakes Preparatory Academy in the ranking list.)

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 West Lakes Preparatory Academy.

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Rank History for West Lakes Preparatory Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2019	47.35	1143^rd	2182	47.6%
2021	73.53	566^th	2247	74.8%
2022	60.15	827^th	2219	62.7%
2023	64.97	737^th	2240	67.1%
2024	71.86	597^th	2256	73.5%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Rank History for West Lakes Preparatory Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2021	41.68	670^th	1136	41.0%
2022	59.55	426^th	1148	62.9%
2023	55.09	494^th	1177	58.0%
2024	68.81	342^nd	1196	71.4%

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
Friday, January 24, 2020

This school is amazing, my kid has learned tons and the teachers treat my kid with like ve and respect. Totally recommend this school to the community. Close Quote

Enrollment information for West Lakes Preparatory Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	1	1	30	0	0	32
2018	7	7	15	150	0	1	180
2019	7	14	19	267	1	0	308
2020	16	22	22	407	2	0	469
2021	19	24	25	457	0	0	525
2022	24	34	20	485	0	0	563
2023	22	29	22	460	0	0	533
2024	21	35	16	473	0	0	545

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 West Lakes Preparatory Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	32	4.0	8.0	59.4
2018	180	11.0	16.3	50
2019	308	20.0	15.4	52.6
2020	469	30.0	15.6	51.6
2021	525	34.0	15.4	59.4
2022	563	37.0	15.2	61.3
2023	533	37.0	14.4	42.6
2024	545	37.0	14.7	41.7

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 West Lakes Preparatory Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	32	4.0	8.0	59.4
2018	180	11.0	16.3	50
2019	308	20.0	15.4	52.6
2020	469	30.0	15.6	51.6
2021	525	34.0	15.4	59.4
2022	563	37.0	15.2	61.3
2023	533	37.0	14.4	42.6
2024	545	37.0	14.7	41.7

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 West Lakes Preparatory Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$345 (4.2%)	$7,965 (95.8%)	$8,310
2019	$560 (5.9%)	$8,903 (94.1%)	$9,463
2020	$327 (3.6%)	$8,705 (96.4%)	$9,033
2021	$1,676 (15.8%)	$8,928 (84.2%)	$10,605
2022	$2,148 (17.7%)	$9,980 (82.3%)	$12,128
2023	$2,198 (16.6%)	$11,075 (83.4%)	$13,274

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Lakes Preparatory 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 1143^rd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 737^th of 2240 Elementary schools	19.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	77	54	23%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	60	56	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	82	49	33%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	67	60	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	54	79	25%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	64	62	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	56	68	12%
4th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	69	65	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	38	56	18%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	60	59	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	26	51	25%
5th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	65	54	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	20	58	38%
5th Grade Science (Miami-Dade)	53	50	3%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	59	67	8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Miami-Dade)	58	55	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Lakes Preparatory Academy)	72	64	8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Miami-Dade)	58	51	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	308	533	73.1%
African American	14	29	107.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	19	22	15.8%
Hispanic	267	460	72.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	7	22	214.3%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.6%	42.6%	10%

Schools Near West Lakes Preparatory Academy

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 Geometry (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 Geometry 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
West Lakes Preparatory Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	8435 W 36th Ave	Hialeah	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 827-3025	545	37	14.7	41.7%	21 (3.9%)	35 (6.4%)	473 (86.8%)	16 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	71.9	597^th of 2256 public elementary schools	73.5%		65	737^th of 2240 public elementary schools	67.1%	140	54.0	54.0	69.0	78.0	55.0	54.0	62.0	69.0	66.0	79.0	67.0	50.0	66.0	19.0	66.0	100.0	100.0	73.0	$13,274	$2,198	$11,075
Hialeah Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9702 NW 130th St	Hialeah Gardens	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 827-8830	1,008	82	12.2	61.2%	24 (2.4%)	8 (0.8%)	962 (95.4%)	14 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77.3	469^th of 2256 public elementary schools	79.2%		60.8	820^th of 2240 public elementary schools	63.4%	351	65.0	59.0	66.0				76.0	77.0	70.0				62.0						$16,727	$3,359	$13,367
Ernest R. Graham K-8 Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	7330 W 32nd Ave	Hialeah	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 825-2122	899	53	16.9	61.2%	2 (0.2%)	13 (1.4%)	881 (98.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56.7	929^th of 2256 public elementary schools	58.8%		53.5	1004^th of 2240 public elementary schools	55.2%	75	51.0	53.0	62.0	54.0	60.0	44.0	52.0	61.0	66.0	78.0	65.0	82.0	50.0	44.0	78.0			80.0	$12,258	$2,369	$9,889
West Hialeah Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11990 NW 92nd Ave	Hialeah Gardens	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 818-4000	1,089	85	12.8	57.5%	12 (1.1%)	5 (0.5%)	1,070 (98.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62.5	810^th of 2256 public elementary schools	64.1%		61.2	813^th of 2240 public elementary schools	63.7%	3	55.0	57.0	49.0				65.0	79.0	59.0				58.0						$13,926	$2,625	$11,301
Youth County-Op Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	7700 W 20th Ave	Hialeah	33016	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	Yes	(305) 819-8855	770	43	17.9	78.3%	6 (0.8%)	17 (2.2%)	743 (96.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.4	986^th of 2256 public elementary schools	56.3%		44.3	1220^th of 2240 public elementary schools	45.5%	234	52.0	50.0	56.0	56.0	48.0	56.0	66.0	60.0	68.0	37.0	55.0	44.0	54.0	18.0			89.0	76.0	$10,977	$1,292	$9,685
Bob Graham Education Center	Public	PK, KG-8	15901 NW 79th Ave	Miami Lakes	33016	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 557-3303	1,465	84	17.4	45.9%	51 (3.5%)	50 (3.4%)	1,344 (91.7%)	18 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	73.7	556^th of 2256 public elementary schools	75.4%		66.8	696^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.9%	140	78.0	64.0	63.0	63.0	70.0	66.0	82.0	69.0	62.0	75.0	63.0	80.0	49.0	52.0	98.0			83.0	$11,816	$1,779	$10,037
Ben Sheppard Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5700 W 24th Ave	Hialeah	33016	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	Yes	No	Yes	(305) 556-2204	939	59	15.9	64.2%	9 (1.0%)	13 (1.4%)	914 (97.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	47.6	1155^th of 2256 public elementary schools	48.8%		72.5	573^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	74.4%	582	45.0	48.0	50.0				44.0	66.0	64.0				53.0						$12,526	$2,145	$10,381
Palm Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7450 W 16th Ave	Hialeah	33014	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	Yes	(305) 823-6970	558	39	14.3	60.4%	7 (1.3%)	5 (0.9%)	542 (97.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39.5	1354^th of 2256 public elementary schools	40.0%		32.1	1551^st of 2240 public elementary schools	30.8%	197	46.0	44.0	42.0				59.0	59.0	41.0				49.0						$13,374	$2,331	$11,042
Mater Gardens Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	9010 NW 178th Ln	Hialeah	33018	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	Yes	No	No	No	(305) 512-9775	802	36	22.2	56.0%	15 (1.9%)	5 (0.6%)	771 (96.1%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	85.6	293^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	87.0%		89.3	184^th of 2240 public elementary schools	91.8%	109	82.0	76.0	75.0				80.0	80.0	74.0				55.0						$10,348	$176	$10,172
Palm Springs North Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	17615 NW 82nd Ave	Hialeah	33015	Miami-Dade County	Miami-Dade	No	No	No	No	(305) 821-4631	1,204	72	16.7	52.9%	24 (2.0%)	25 (2.1%)	1,144 (95.0%)	10 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	64	771^st of 2256 public elementary schools	65.8%		72.8	562^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	74.9%	209	61.0	58.0	57.0				69.0	62.0	58.0				58.0						$10,471	$1,543	$8,928

Frequently Asked Questions about West Lakes Preparatory Academy

What is the racial makeup of West Lakes Preparatory Academy?

Students at West Lakes Preparatory Academy are 87% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% White, 3% Asian.

Is West Lakes Preparatory Academy a good school?

West Lakes Preparatory Academy ranks 597^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Lakes Preparatory Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 545 students attended West Lakes Preparatory Academy.

What schools do graduates of West Lakes Preparatory Academy attend?

Students who attend West Lakes Preparatory Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lawton Chiles Middle School
High : Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High

What district is West Lakes Preparatory Academy in?

Miami-Dade

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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.