Enrollment
436
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Miami, FL
South Miami Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Miami Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120039000519
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Miami Heights Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #95 of 161
- schools in Miami · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 69.5%
- free-lunch eligible
South Miami Heights Elementary has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Miami Heights Elementary ranks #95 of 161 schools in Miami, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Miami Heights Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Miami Heights Elementary
South Miami Heights Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Miami, Florida, enrolling 436 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 436 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 706 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #165.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% 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 1 expulsion 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 South Miami Heights Elementary.
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 South Miami Heights Elementary compares
South Miami Heights Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.5% | ▲ 34% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 40% in Florida - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.4%
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 436 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. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 84.4%
African American 12.8%
White 2.1%
Two or More 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.1, South Miami Heights Elementary 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 South Miami Heights Elementary.
$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 South Miami Heights Elementary 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 South Miami Heights Elementary'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 (~436 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Miami Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Miami Heights Elementary 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 South Miami Heights Elementary
How many students attend South Miami Heights Elementary?
South Miami Heights Elementary has 436 students enrolled. It is a public school in Miami, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Miami Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Miami Heights Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Miami Heights Elementary?
69.5% of students at South Miami Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Miami Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Miami Heights Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.4% of enrollment, in Miami, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Miami Heights Elementary?
South Miami Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 South Miami Heights Elementary rank among schools in Miami?
By Resource Investment Index, South Miami Heights Elementary ranks #95 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 South Miami Heights Elementary a good school?
South Miami Heights Elementary earns 40/100 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 South Miami Heights Elementary, 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.