Enrollment
315
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hialeah Gardens, FL
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy
Federal NCES profile for Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120039005494Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Hialeah Gardens · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.5:1
- students per teacher
- 64.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
School address
District: Miami-Dade · Florida
NCES ID 120039005494 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter high school in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, enrolling 315 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 315 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 345 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #110.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 315 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Performing Arts & Entertainment 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 Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy compares
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.7% | ▲ 24% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 315 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
315
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 67% in Florida - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 315 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 97.8%
African American 1.3%
White 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.3, Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment 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 Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment 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 high 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 (~315 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy's federal record.
- Compare Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment 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 Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy
How many students attend Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy?
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy has 315 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy is 18.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy?
64.7% of students at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 97.8% of enrollment, in Hialeah Gardens, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy?
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy rank among high schools in Hialeah Gardens?
By Resource Investment Index, Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy ranks #1 of 3 high 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 high schools in Hialeah Gardens on the city page.
Is Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy a good school?
Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Performing Arts & Entertainment 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.