Enrollment
1,521
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hialeah Gardens, FL
Mater Academy
Federal NCES profile for Mater Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120039003341Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mater Academy earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #2 of 8
- public schools in Hialeah Gardens · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.2:1
- large classes for Florida
- 82.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mater Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Academy ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
School address
District: Miami-Dade · Florida
NCES ID 120039003341 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mater Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mater Academy
Mater Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, enrolling 1,521 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.2:1 is larger than about 94% of Florida schools and 47% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 82.9% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,521 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 92 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
15.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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.
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 compares
Mater Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.2:1 | ▲ 47% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.9% | ▲ 59% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,521 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.2:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,521
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
26.2:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 94% in Florida - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 98.2%
White 0.7%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.6, Mater Academy 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.
$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 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mater Academy'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 elementary 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 (~1,521 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mater Academy's federal record.
- Compare Mater Academy 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
How many students attend Mater Academy?
Mater Academy has 1,521 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mater Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mater Academy is 26.2:1, which is 47% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 67% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mater Academy?
82.9% of students at Mater Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mater Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mater Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 98.2% of enrollment, in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mater Academy?
Mater Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mater Academy rank among public schools in Hialeah Gardens?
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Academy ranks #2 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 a good school?
Mater Academy earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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, 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.