Enrollment
2,063
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Miami, FL
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center
Federal NCES profile for Aventura Waterways K-8 Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120039007241
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #109 of 161
- schools in Miami · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- students per teacher
- 29.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aventura Waterways K-8 Center ranks #109 of 161 schools in Miami, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
110.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aventura Waterways K-8 Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center is a large combined-grade school in Miami, Florida, enrolling 2,063 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 96% of state schools at 2,063 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 222 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (46%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 413 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 15 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside Aventura Waterways K-8 Center.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Aventura Waterways K-8 Center compares
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 43% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,063 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,063
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Florida - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,258
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 413 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 15 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 45.8%
White 45.5%
African American 5.2%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Aventura Waterways K-8 Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Aventura Waterways K-8 Center.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Aventura Waterways K-8 Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aventura Waterways K-8 Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,063 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aventura Waterways K-8 Center's federal record.
- Compare Aventura Waterways K-8 Center against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Aventura Waterways K-8 Center
How many students attend Aventura Waterways K-8 Center?
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center has 2,063 students enrolled. It is a public school in Miami, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center is 18.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center?
29.7% of students at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aventura Waterways K-8 Center?
The largest demographic group at Aventura Waterways K-8 Center is Hispanic or Latino at 45.8% of enrollment, in Miami, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aventura Waterways K-8 Center?
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Aventura Waterways K-8 Center rank among schools in Miami?
By Resource Investment Index, Aventura Waterways K-8 Center ranks #109 of 161 schools in Miami, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Miami on the city page.
Is Aventura Waterways K-8 Center a good school?
Aventura Waterways K-8 Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Miami-Dade?
Besides Aventura Waterways K-8 Center, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.