Enrollment
1,219
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hialeah Gardens, FL
Mater Academy Charter Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mater Academy Charter Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120039004074Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mater Academy Charter Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Hialeah Gardens · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 75.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mater Academy Charter Middle School has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Academy Charter Middle School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
School address
District: Miami-Dade · Florida
NCES ID 120039004074 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mater Academy Charter Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mater Academy Charter Middle School
Mater Academy Charter Middle School is a high-poverty, large charter middle school in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, enrolling 1,219 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 56% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 75.4% of students qualify for free meals, 45% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 1,219 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #123.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% 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.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside Mater Academy Charter Middle School.
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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School compares
Mater Academy Charter Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.7:1 | ▲ 56% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.4% | ▲ 45% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,219 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,219
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 56% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
24.2%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 406 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 95.8%
African American 2.7%
White 1.1%
Asian 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.1, Mater Academy Charter Middle School is less 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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School.
$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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mater Academy Charter Middle School'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 middle 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 (~1,219 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mater Academy Charter Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mater Academy Charter Middle School 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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School
How many students attend Mater Academy Charter Middle School?
Mater Academy Charter Middle School has 1,219 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mater Academy Charter Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mater Academy Charter Middle School is 27.7:1, which is 56% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mater Academy Charter Middle School?
75.4% of students at Mater Academy Charter Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mater Academy Charter Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mater Academy Charter Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment, in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mater Academy Charter Middle School?
Mater Academy Charter Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School rank among public schools in Hialeah Gardens?
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Academy Charter Middle School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Hialeah Gardens, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hialeah Gardens on the city page.
Is Mater Academy Charter Middle School a good school?
Mater Academy Charter Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools. 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 Mater Academy Charter Middle School, 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.