Which elementary school in Miami has the highest HTSI rating?

Palmetto Elementary School has the highest Houzeo Test Score Index (HTSI) rating among the 274 rated elementary schools on this Miami list, at 10 out of 10, labelled Well above state average. Another 17 Miami elementary schools on this list also rate 10 out of 10.

Are all elementary schools in Miami included in this list?

This list includes the 274 public and charter elementary schools with a Miami address that meet the criteria for a Houzeo Test Score Index rating. Another 3 appear as Not rated because no learning gains have been published for them yet. A Not rated school is never scored as zero. Private schools do not take Florida's state assessments and are not rated.

How is the HTSI different from Florida's A to F school grade?

The Houzeo Test Score Index is a 1 to 10 rating that compares each school with every Florida school of the same level on three years of achievement, learning gains and outcomes data. Florida's A to F grade is the state's official accountability grade for a single school year. The two can differ: 68 of the 274 rated elementary schools on this list earned an A for 2025-26, but only 18 rate 10 out of 10 on HTSI, because a 10 means the top 10 percent of Florida elementary schools. The state grade is shown alongside every rating.

What goes into the HTSI for elementary schools?

For elementary schools the Houzeo Test Score Index uses two measures from Florida Department of Education data, weighted equally: Achievement (50 percent), which is results on FAST reading and math and Statewide Science scored on all five achievement levels, and Growth (50 percent), which is learning gains including the lowest-performing 25 percent of students. Florida does not report an outcomes measure for elementary grades, so none is used. Each school is compared only with elementary schools statewide.

Which school district do Miami elementary schools belong to?

Every rated elementary school on this list is run by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the public school district that serves Miami.

What school year is this data from, and when does it update?

Ratings on this page use Florida Department of Education assessment and school grades results for 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26. Where a graduation rate applies, it uses the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 four-year cohorts. Enrollment and staffing figures are from the 2025-26 NCES Common Core of Data. The index is recalculated each year when FDOE publishes new results.

What if I think a rating or a school detail is wrong?

If you believe a rating or school detail is incorrect, email schools@houzeo.com. Include the school name, the information you believe is wrong, and a reliable source supporting the correction when you have one.

What does an HTSI rating of 10 actually mean?

A 10 means the school is in the top 10 percent of Florida elementary schools on the Houzeo Test Score Index for the years scored. Ratings are equal-population deciles statewide, so each rating from 1 to 10 holds about a tenth of Florida's elementary schools. The labels are: 9 and 10, Well above state average; 7 and 8, Above state average; 5 and 6, At state average; 3 and 4, Below state average; 1 and 2, Well below state average. On this Miami list 18 elementary schools rate 10.

How many elementary schools in Miami offer a gifted program?

99 of the 274 rated elementary schools on this Miami list report a gifted program in their 2025-26 NCES school record. Gifted enrollment is not part of the HTSI rating; it is shown for information only.

How does Miami's average elementary school rating compare to the Florida state average?

The 274 rated elementary schools in Miami average 6.7 out of 10 on the Houzeo Test Score Index, against a Florida average of 5.5. The state average is 5.5 by construction, because ratings are equal-population deciles across all Florida elementary schools, so an average above 5.5 means Miami holds more than its share of higher-rated schools. Based on 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 data.

How many students attend Palmetto Elementary School?

Palmetto Elementary School has approximately 654 students enrolled, based on 2025-26 NCES Common Core of Data school records.

Best Elementary Schools in Miami, FL

Best Elementary Schools in Miami

274 rated elementary schools, ranked on Florida Department of Education data only

#10/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades PK-5
1. Palmetto Elementary School
12401 SW 74TH AVE, Miami, FL, 33156
10/10
Houzeo school score
18:1
Students per teacher
654
Students enrolled
Palmetto Elementary School is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and is assigned to the district's South region. The campus holds a STEM and STEAM designation, has been designated a PTSA National School of Excellence, and has received a Fairchild Challenge Award, a Golden School Award, a Green School Award and a Florida PTA Community Membership Award. It was designated a Florida Department of Education School of Excellence for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25.
#14/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades PK-5
2. Sunset Elementary School
5120 SW 72ND ST, Miami, FL, 33143
10/10
Houzeo school score
15:1
Students per teacher
1192
Students enrolled
Sunset Elementary School opened in 1896 as a one-room schoolhouse. The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, is assigned to the district's Central region, and holds AdvancED accreditation. It was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2023. It was designated a Florida Department of Education School of Excellence for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25. It has also received a Five Star School Award, a Green School Award and a Magnet Schools of America Merit Award. It also holds a STEM/STEAM Designation. It has been designated a PTSA National School of Excellence.
#15/3,393in florida
Private school
Elementary school
Grades KG-G08
3. St Marys Cathedral School
7485 NW 2ND AVE, Miami, FL, 33150
9.5/10
Houzeo school score
16:1
Students per teacher
422
Students enrolled
St. Mary's Cathedral School opened in 1939 with an original teaching staff of eight Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, Florida. The school also operated a high school program, holding its first high school graduation in 1944 and its last in 1953. It is accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference.
#17/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades KG-8
4. Pinecrest Academy (North Campus)
10207 W Flagler ST, Miami, FL, 33174
10/10
Houzeo school score
20:1
Students per teacher
468
Students enrolled
Pinecrest Academy (North Campus) occupies its facility under an educational facilities license agreement with the Archdiocese of Miami. The school is governed by Pinecrest Academy, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, and is sponsored by the School Board of Miami-Dade County. It was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019. The Florida Department of Education designated it a School of Excellence for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25.
#62/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades PK-5
5. Calusa Elementary School
9580 W Calusa Club DR, Miami, FL, 33186
10/10
Houzeo school score
17:1
Students per teacher
695
Students enrolled
Calusa Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2009. The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and reports Cognia accreditation. It was designated a Florida Department of Education School of Excellence for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25.
#85/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades KG-5
6. Somerset Academy Kendall
9790 SW 107 CT, Miami, FL, 33176
10/10
Houzeo school score
17:1
Students per teacher
224
Students enrolled
Somerset Academy Kendall occupies its premises under an Educational Facilities Lease Agreement with The Office Park, LLC that took effect in 2018. The school is sponsored by the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is governed by the board of directors of Somerset Academy, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that also governs other schools. The Florida Department of Education named it a School of Excellence on the Elementary School list for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25.
#103/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades KG-5
7. Archimedean Academy
12425 SW 72ND ST, Miami, FL, 33183
10/10
Houzeo school score
15:1
Students per teacher
644
Students enrolled
Archimedean Academy was founded in February 2002 by John Haralambides and George Kafkoulis. In 2003 the school moved to its current location, a two-storey structure with a centre courtyard. It was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2011, and the Florida Department of Education designated it a School of Excellence for 2023-24 and for 2024-25.
#107/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades PK-5
8. Pinecrest Elementary School
10250 SW 57TH AVE, Miami, FL, 33156
10/10
Houzeo school score
19:1
Students per teacher
1001
Students enrolled
Pinecrest Elementary School is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and holds AdvancED accreditation. The school has received a Five Star School Award from the Florida Department of Education, a Green Apple Designation, a Fairchild Challenge award, a Golden Apple Award for Volunteerism and a Dream in Green award, and it received a District Distinction Seal in 2025. It was designated a Florida Department of Education School of Excellence for 2023-24 and again for 2024-25. It was named a National Blue Ribbon School for 1985-86. The school is assigned to the district's South region. It has also received an Award for Excellence from the Coalition for Community Schools, a Florida PTA Community Membership Award, a Florida PTA President's Membership Award and a SECME Award. It also holds a STEM/STEAM Designation. It has been designated a PTSA National School of Excellence. It identifies itself as home of the Parrots.
#110/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades KG-8
9. True North Classical Academy at Gateway
6500 SW 97TH AVE, Miami, FL, 33173
10/10
Houzeo school score
22:1
Students per teacher
333
Students enrolled
True North Classical Academy at Gateway opened in 2021, and its facilities lease commenced in August of that year. True North Classical Academy, Inc. later funded an expansion of the leased property that gave the school additional space during the 2022-23 year. The school is sponsored by the School Board of Miami-Dade County and is governed by that corporation's board of directors. The Florida Department of Education named it a School of Excellence on the Elementary School list for 2024-25.
#114/3,393in florida
Public school
Elementary school
Grades PK-8
10. Ada Merritt K-8 Center
660 SW 3RD ST, Miami, FL, 33130
10/10
Houzeo school score
17:1
Students per teacher
780
Students enrolled
Ada Merritt K-8 Center was built in 1923 as the first junior high school in South Florida. The school sits in the heart of Miami's Little Havana. It closed in the 1970s, and the building was used as a Job Corps center until it was demolished. A replica of the Spanish colonial-style structure was rebuilt in 2003, retaining a main entrance guarded by two lion statues, and the replica was then incorporated into a larger structure that became the present campus, which the school describes as having Mediterranean architecture. It was named after a pioneer Miami educator. The campus is served by the district's Central Region office, and the Florida Department of Education named it a School of Excellence for 2023-24 and for 2024-25. It has also received a Magnet Schools of America Merit Award.

Viewed 10 of 274

Best Elementary Schools in Miami

miami schools at a glance

miami schools rank, 2026

SOURCES

Best Elementary Schools in Miami

1. Palmetto Elementary School

2. Sunset Elementary School

3. St Marys Cathedral School

4. Pinecrest Academy (North Campus)

5. Calusa Elementary School

6. Somerset Academy Kendall

7. Archimedean Academy

8. Pinecrest Elementary School

9. True North Classical Academy at Gateway

10. Ada Merritt K-8 Center

How We Ranked the Schools

How the three are weighted

Elementary

Middle

High

Achievement

Growth

Outcomes

Our data sources

Not in the score

K-8, 6-12 and other combination schools

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