Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is a public school district

School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

 serving Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and the Southeastern United States

Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

, and the fourth largest in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010.

The District is managed by the School Board of Miami-Dade County, which appoints a Superintendent to head the administrative portions of the district. The current Superintendent is Alberto Carvalho, since September 12, 2008.

The district is also the second-largest minority-majority public school system in the country, with 62% of its students being of Hispanic origin

Hispanic and Latino Americans

Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

, 26% African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

, 9% Non-Hispanic White

White American

White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...

, 1% Asian

Asian American

Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...

 or Pacific Islander

Pacific Islander American

Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...

 and less than 2% of other minorities. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is also one of a few public school districts in the United States to offer optional International Studies Programs and bilingual education

Bilingual education

Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...

. Bilingual education is offered in Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, Haitian Creole

Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a language spoken in Haiti by about twelve million people, which includes all Haitians in Haiti and via emigration, by about two to three million speakers residing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, France, Cayman Islands, French...

, and Mandarin. MDCPS is the only school district in Florida to offer bilingual education in Mandarin.

Over 50% of MDCPS teachers are graduates of Florida International University

Florida International University

Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...

.

Beginnings (1800s)

The first meeting of school board, then known simply as the Dade County school board, took place in June 1885, eleven years before the city of Miami was created. At the time of this first school board meeting, Dade County encompassed nearly the entire southern part of Florida, from Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...

 south towards the Florida Keys

Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...

; its population was reported as being only 400, however, this number probably did not include its native populations.

The county's first school opened in the fall of 1885 in what is today the town of Palm Beach, Florida

Palm Beach, Florida

The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...

, located in what is now Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...

. A year or two later, the first public school within Dade County's current boundaries opened in a palmetto-thatched log house near Dinner Key

Dinner Key, Florida

Dinner Key is a marina complex in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida along the shore of Biscayne Bay on South Bayshore Drive. It was originally an island, but was connected to the mainland in 1914 by filling in the intervening space...

 in Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove, Florida

Coconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to...

. The school's student enrollment on the first day was only ten.

In 1893 the unincorporated

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 of Miami was created, and with it came its second school, segregated as per Jim Crow Laws for its black population. The school was also located in present-day Coconut Grove. Between 1885 and the arrival of the railroad in 1896, the school board created and ran a total of fifteen different schools around Southern Florida.

1900s to 1930s

The turn of the 20th century launched Miami and its school system into decades of growth. By 1924, the county lines had shifted with the creation of Broward

Broward County, Florida

-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...

, Palm Beach

Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...

, Lee

Lee County, Florida

Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...

, and Hendry

Hendry County, Florida

Hendry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 36,210. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 39,611 . Its county seat is La Belle. The county comprises the Clewiston, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Hendry County...

 counties. Despite losing jurisdiction over many of its schools in just twenty years, the school system still boasted thirty-three separate schools and a student population of nearly 5,000.

Following the 1926 Miami Hurricane, many schools were destroyed. The hurricane ended the 1920s land boom in Miami, and ushered in the great depression to the area long before the actual market crash occurred in 1929. The crash forced many more schools not destroyed by the hurricane to be closed. Beginning in 1930 the school board faced its first overcrowding and funding problems.

In 1928, Miami Senior High, the district's first secondary school, moved into its fifth and current location. The building cost over $1 million dollars to construct.

In 1926, the original Booker T. Washington Senior High School building opened in what is now the Overtown district. It was the only secondary black high school at the time in South Florida, having students from as far as Broward and Palm Beach counties attending the facilities.

In 1938, George Washington Carver Sr. High opened in Coral Gables, FL for the black residents of Coconut Grove and Coral Gables area. There were its rival schools such as North Dade Sr. High, Dorsey Sr. High and Mays Sr. High.

1940s to 1970s

World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 brought another population boom for Miami. Between 1945 and 1975, sixteen high schools, thirty middle schools, and forty-five grade schools were opened. Miami Edison Senior High School, the district's second all black secondary school, was expanded.

Miami Northwestern opened in 1951 to replace Dorsey which turned to a Jr. High until schools desegregated, Dade County Public Schools found that it was not operable for school anymore, so it was turned into an adult edu.

There is an elementary school near S.R. 112 and 27th Avenue called Bethune Elementary. This school was especially for the negros in Dade County. After desegregation, it was turned into a head-start school.

In 1957, North Dade Jr./Sr. High School

North Dade Junior/ Senior High School

-History:This institution opened in Bunche Park, Fla. serving the blacks in the upper Dade County area from 1957 to 1966, as Mr. Charles Wyche serving as the first principal hiring teachers that graduated from Booker T. Washington Sr. High...

 Home of the Thunderbirds, opened for grades seven through tenth grades. As the years progressed, the grades went higher until 1960, North Dade's graduated its first class. After class of 1966, its status become Jr. High and its been that way since Jr. High Schools were phased out. Also in this year, Miami Dade Schools opened positions of Security Assistant was established, this would later evolve into the Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department (Florida).

On the morning of September 7, 1959, twenty-five African-American students stepped onto the grounds of Orchard Villa Elementary School and Air Base Elementary

Air Base Elementary School

Air Base Elementary School, The Center for International Education, is a primary school located at 12829 S.W. 272nd Street in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, northeast of Homestead. Its principal is Raul Calzadilla Jr and it is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools...

 schools officially ending segregation within the school system. By the end of the academic year, nearly half the schools in the county had been desegregated when parents were given the option of enrolling their children in any school in the district, providing the child would have the proper transportation. Despite this law, many schools in Dade County did not become fully integrated until the late 1960s.

In 1961 the school system started a "Spanish for Spanish" program. With help from the Ford Foundation

Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....

, they modified the program into a full bilingual education curriculum, with a pilot program at Coral Way Elementary School. The program was successful and later paved the way for the Bilingual Education Act

Bilingual Education Act

The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968 was the first piece of United States federal legislation that recognized the needs of Limited English Speaking Ability students. The BEA was introduced in 1967 by Texas senator Ralph Yarborough and was...

 of 1968.

Beginning in 1962, Dade County schools began to receive its first influx of Hispanic students, mainly from Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

. This event was very significant in shaping the school system to what it is today.

In 1975, school boundaries were created, forcing students to attend the schools located within their area. This law allowed for any student to attend the school located closest to them, regardless of race or ethnicity.

School populations had flourished throughout most of the 1960s and 70s, but in the late 70s, a teacher walk-out forced a sudden drop in school population; ending rampant overcrowding, and forcing the closing of 11 schools. The sudden drop didn't last very long, as students that had left the school system for private schools began to return by the mid 1980s.

1980s to 1990s

Throughout the 1980s, the school district received merits for expertly assimilating wave after wave of new immigrants, particularly children from Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

 and Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, and from Cuba's Mariel Boatlift

Mariel boatlift

The Mariel boatlift was a mass emigration of Cubans who departed from Cuba's Mariel Harbor for the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980....

. It was highly regarded for its handling in displacing students after the 1982 Miami riot, in which 14 schools were badly damaged due to fire and vandalism.

In 1986, the district started the first International Studies Magnet Program at Sunset Elementary School, one of the first International Studies Program in the U.S. and the winner of the prestigious 2008 Goldman Sachs Prize for Excellence in International Education, focusing on implementing a challenging curriculum in Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, and German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, in addition to English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

. The challenging world language curriculum is fully accredited by the Governments of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, and is implemented through comprehensive agreements between the Ministries of Education of the partner countries and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The district, through the International Studies Magnet Program at Sunset Elementary School, started to produce bicultural, bilingual and biliterate students in English and a choice of Spanish, French, or German.

Following Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...

 in 1992, Dade County was commended for its quick action at rebuilding and reopening schools. Most schools had reopened within two weeks of the storm, and students that attended schools that had been completely destroyed were quickly displaced with free and efficient bus transportation. The district also used funding from the disaster to redo its entire curriculum, adding sex education to elementary schools, and foreign language programs to middle schools. It also opened fully funded magnet schools such as Coral Reef High School

Coral Reef High School

Coral Reef Senior High School is a secondary school located at 10101 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, Florida; its principal is currently Mrs. Adrianne F. Leal. Coral Reef is locally known as "Miami's Mega Magnet School" since it offers six different magnet programs.According to Newsweek's List of the...

 and Southwood Middle School

Southwood Middle School

Southwood Middle School Center for the Arts, more commonly known as Southwood Middle School, is a public secondary school located on 16301 Southwest 80th Avenue in Palmetto Bay, Florida. The principal is Ms. Deborah Leal...

 which take in students from all over the county based on school performance (some schools are partial magnets, which also take in children from surrounding neighborhoods, while some are full magnets that only take in children based on merit). The district also re-opened Coral Way Elementary

Coral Way K-8 Center

Coral Way School, built as Coral Way Elementary School in 1936, is a K-8 school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school, which began teaching in English and Spanish in 1963, was a pioneer in the field of bilingual instruction in the United States and remains the only bilingual K-8 center in the...

 as its first bilingual school, which teaches its curriculum in both English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

.

In 1996, the school board revamped itself under pressure to boost minority representation, expanding from seven to nine members, all elected for the first time from single member districts. Due to this, the number of black members doubled, and the number of Hispanic members quadrupled. The school board also began a new program to create K-8 Centers as a way of relieving overcrowding in middle schools.

In 1997, Dade County formally changed its name to Miami-Dade County, and the school board subsequently changed its name as well.

2000s and beyond

The early 21st century was characterized by the widespread adoption of information technology for everyday use by classroom teachers, students, and parents. One noteworthy process was the phased introduction of the Excelsior Software's Electronic Gradebook, Riverdeep software, BrainPOP

BrainPOP

BrainPOP is a group of educational websites with hundreds of short animated movies for students in grades K-12 covering the subjects of science, social studies, English, mathematics, arts and music, and health and technology. BrainPOP is used in more than 25% of U.S. schools and also offers...

, TeenBiz, and FCAT Explorer.

School population became a problem yet again in the early 21st century, with schools such as G. Holmes Braddock High School

G. Holmes Braddock High School

G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School is a secondary school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school is named after a former 38-year member of the school board, who, as chairperson from 1969–1970, led the district's efforts to desegregate its schools....

, Barbara Goleman High School

Barbara Goleman High School

Barbara Goleman Senior High School is a secondary school located at 14100 NW 89th Ave in Miami Lakes, Florida,; its principal is Mr. Carlos Artime. Goleman pertains to Miami-Dade County Public Schools Region I, and is school number 7751...

, and Miami Springs High School

Miami Springs High School

Miami Springs High School is a secondary school located at 751 Dove Avenue in Miami Springs, Florida, USA; its principal is Anna L. Rodriguez. The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public School's nationally-accredited magnet program, specializing in travel and tourism, the oldest of its kind in...

 reaching student populations of over 4,500. The sudden influx in student population has forced the school system to build and open nearly 40 new schools in many parts of the county - an ongoing project today.

In October 2001, Deputy Superintendent Henry Fraind retired under pressure after it was discovered that a clique of longtime administrators and powerful outsiders exploited the district's vast resources. Fraind got his Ph.D. from Pacific Western University

Pacific Western University

California Miramar University , is a nationally accredited private proprietary institution of higher learning and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education...

 in 1982, a noted diploma mill

Diploma mill

A diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...

.

Beginning April 26, 2004, under then new superintendent Dr. Rudy Crew

Rudy Crew

Rudolph F. "Rudy" Crew is professor of Clinical Education at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education. He is a former Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools...

, the school year was started three weeks earlier in order to synchronize the school district with the rest of the state. Until this point, Miami-Dade County Schools was the only district whose students began school the last week of August rather than the first. This measure was also implemented to allow schools more time to ready themselves for the state's FCAT

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or the FCAT , is the standardized test used in the primary and secondary public schools of Florida...

 exam.

In accordance with measures set forth by the State, schools that were graded as a D or F on the FCAT the previous academic year were put on an academic probation by the school board, giving the administration three years to bring the school's grade up to a C or higher before taking drastic measures, such as firing all teachers and administrators or removing funding for extracurricular activities.

In September 2008, the school board bought out Dr. Rudy Crew

Rudy Crew

Rudolph F. "Rudy" Crew is professor of Clinical Education at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education. He is a former Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools...

's contract with the district due to mismanaging the budget and his relations with other board members. He was replaced with Alberto Carvalho, who has been with the school system from being a science teacher to now being its current Superintendent.

The school district is currently being monitored by the Florida Department of Education due to extremely low monetary reserves. Since Alberto Carvalho's appointment reserves have increased from 0.5% to 1.3% of the operating budget, however, this is well below the 5% recommended practice.

School Board Members

• Dr. Wilbert "Tee" Holloway - District 1
• Dr. Solomon C. Stinson - (Chairman) District 2
• Dr. Martin Karp - District 3
• Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman - (Vice Chairman) District 4
• Mr. Renier Diaz de la Portilla - District 5
• Ms. Raquel Regalado - District 6
• Ms. Ana Rivas Logan - District 7
• Dr. Marta Pérez - - District 8
• Dr. Larry Feldman - District 9
• Dr. Jessica M. Serrano - District 10

Student Enrollment

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Student Enrollment as of Monday, June 20, 2011 is 335,832 total students. The breakdown of students are shown below.

• Active Students: 335,832
• Pre-K Students: 5,528
• Part-Time Students: 978
• Current Adult/Vocational Students: 43,723 (Co-Enrolled High School: 12,529)

School rankings

In 2009, the following MDCPS high schools were ranked in U.S. News and World Report's annual "America's 100 Best High Schools" rankings:

National Ranking	High school	Enrollment	Location
15. (Gold)	Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH) Design and Architecture High School Design and Architecture Senior High School is a magnet secondary school in the heart of the Design District in Miami, Florida, United States. US News & World Report ranked DASH as the 15th best public high school in the nation in 2009....	483	Design District, Miami
66. (Gold)	Maritime and Science Tech High School (MAST) MAST Academy Maritime and Science Technology Academy, commonly referred to as MAST Academy, or MAST, is a public high school in Miami, Florida, on Virginia Key. MAST Academy is a magnet school under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August...	550	Virginia Key Virginia Key Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway.... , Miami
82. (Gold)	New World School of the Arts New World School of the Arts New World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...	489	Downtown Miami Downtown Miami Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
95. (Gold)	Coral Reef Senior High School	3,007	Miami
Silver	Mater Academy Charter School Mater Academy Charter School Mater Academy Charter School is located in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. Principal Judith C. Marty opened the school in 2003 and has been since been praised as one of the best charter school principles in America...	4,000	Hialeah Gardens
Bronze	Turner Technical Arts High School William H. Turner Technical Arts High School William H. Turner Technical Arts High School, commonly referred to as Turner Tech, is a secondary technical school located at 10151 NW 19th Avenue in West Little River, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. Turner Tech sits behind Miami Central High School. The principal of the school is Ms...	1,800	West Little River West Little River, Florida West Little River is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 34,699 at the 2010 census.-Geography:West Little River is located at... , Miami
Honorable Mention	School for Advanced Studies School for Advanced Studies The School for Advanced Studies is a SACS accredited dual-enrollment secondary school in Miami, Florida. It is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System and is situated at four campuses of Miami Dade College...	525	Downtown Miami

National Ranking	Top 10 U.S. magnet high schools	Location
2.	Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH)	Design District, Miami

In 2011, Newsweek

Newsweek

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

's rankings of the 500 Best High Schools in America, eight MDCPS schools were ranked:

National Ranking	High school	Enrollment	Location
28. (4th in Florida)	School for Advanced Studies School for Advanced Studies The School for Advanced Studies is a SACS accredited dual-enrollment secondary school in Miami, Florida. It is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System and is situated at four campuses of Miami Dade College...	525	North, South, Wolfson and Homestead Campus
46. (7th in Florida)	Maritime and Science Tech High School (MAST) MAST Academy Maritime and Science Technology Academy, commonly referred to as MAST Academy, or MAST, is a public high school in Miami, Florida, on Virginia Key. MAST Academy is a magnet school under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August...	550	Virginia Key Virginia Key Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway.... , Miami
53.	Coral Reef Senior High School	3,007	Miami
251.	Miami Palmetto Senior High School	4,093	Pinecrest
374.	Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores is a public charter school located on at Barry University Campus in Miami Shores, Florida. Its current principal is Gary Meredith.-Overview:...	525	Miami Shores
404.	Mater Academy Charter School Mater Academy Charter School Mater Academy Charter School is located in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. Principal Judith C. Marty opened the school in 2003 and has been since been praised as one of the best charter school principles in America...	4,000	Hialeah Gardens
427.	Mater Academy Lakes High School	2,000	Miami
456.	Doral Academy Charter High School Doral Academy Charter High School |Doral Academy Preparatory High School is a charter middle/high school located in Doral, Florida, USA. Doral Academy was recently voted as one of the nation's "Best 400 High Schools in the Nation" in the December issue of US News & World Report....	2,000	Doral Doral, Florida Doral is a city located in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. A suburb of Miami, it lies north-west of Miami International Airport. It takes its name from the famous golf and spa resort located within its municipal boundaries. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was originally built...

Schools

The district covers a total of 415 institutions, including:

• 196 Elementary Schools
• 56 Middle Schools
• 22 K-8 Centers
• 37 High Schools
• 53 Charter Schools
• 23 Vocational Schools
• 5 Magnet Schools
• 18 Alternative Schools
• 5 Special Education Centers

Elementary schools

There are 197 elementary schools serving MDCPS. These schools usually teach grades run from Pre-K to 5th or 6th grade.

• Air Base Elementary School
  Air Base Elementary School
  Air Base Elementary School, The Center for International Education, is a primary school located at 12829 S.W. 272nd Street in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, northeast of Homestead. Its principal is Raul Calzadilla Jr and it is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools...
  
  
• Amelia Earhart Elementary School
• Arch Creek Elementary School
• Arcola Lake Elementary School
• Auburndale Elementary School
• Avocado Elementary School
• Banyan Elementary School
• Barbara Hawkins Elementary School
• Bel-Aire Elementary School
• Ben Sheppard Elementary School
• Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
• Bent Tree Elementary School
• Biscayne Elementary School
• Biscayne Gardens Elementary School
• Blue Lakes Elementary School
• Bowman Foster Ashe Elementary School
• Brentwood Elementary School
• Broadmoor Elementary School
• Bunche Park Elementary School
• Calusa Elementary School
• Campbell Drive Elementary School
• Caribbean Elementary School
• Carol City Elementary School
• Carrie P. Meek/Westview Elementary School
• Charles D. Wyche, Jr. Elementary School
• Charles R. Drew Elementary School
• Charles R. Hadley Elementary School
• Christina M. Eve Elementary School
• Citrus Grove Elementary School

• Claude Pepper Elementary School
• Coconut Grove Elementary School
• Colonial Drive Elementary School
• Comstock Elementary School
• Coral Gables Elementary School
  Coral Gables Elementary School
  The Coral Gables Elementary School is a historic school in Coral Gables, Florida. The school was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It is located at 105 Minorca Avenue. On June 30, 1988, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.The school has an...
  
  
• Coral Park Elementary School
• Coral Reef Elementary School
• Coral Terrace Elementary School
• Crestview Elementary School
• Cutler Ridge Elementary School
• Cypress Elementary School
• Dante B. Fascell Elementary School
• David Farichild Elementary School
• Devon Aire Elementary School
• Dr. H. W. Mack/West Little River Elementary School
• Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary School
• Dr. Edward L. Whigham Elementary School
• Dr. Manuel Barreiro Elementary School
• E.W.F Stirrup Elementary School
• Earlington Heights Elementary School
• Edison Park Elementary School
• Emerson Elementary School
• Eneida Massas Hartner Elementary School
• Ernest R. Graham Elementary School
• Ethel F. Beckford/Richmond Elementary School
• Ethel Koger Beckham Elementary School
• Fairlawn Elementary School
• Flagami Elementary School
• Flamingo Elementary School
• Florida City Elementary School
• Frances S. Tucker Elementary School
• Frank C Martin Elementary School
• Frederick Douglass Elementary School
• Fulford Elementary School
• George Washington Carver Elementary School
• Gertrude Edelmann/Sabal Palm Elementary School
• Dr. Gilbert L. Porter Elementary School
• Gloria Floyd Elementary School
• Golden Glades Elementary School
• Goulds Elementary School
• Gratigny Elementary School
• Greenglade Elementary School
• Greynolds Park Elementary School
• Gulfstream Elementary School
• Henry E. S. Reeves Elementary School
• Henry M. Flagler Elementary School
• Hialeah Elementary School
• Hialeah Gardens Elementary School
• Hibiscus Elementary School
• Holmes Elementary School
• Howard Drive Elementary School
• Hubert O. Sibley Elementary School
• Irving & Beatrice Peskoe Elementary School
• J.W. Johnson Elementary School
• Jack D. Gordon Elementary School
• James H. Bright Elementary School
• Joe Hall Elementary School
• Joella C. Good Elementary School
• John G. Dupuis Elementary School
• John I. Smith Elementary School
• Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary School
• Kendale Elementary School
• Kendale Lakes Elementary School
• Kensington Park Elementary School
• Kinloch Park Elementary School
• Lake Stevens Elementary School
• Lakeview Elementary School
• Laura C. Sanders Elementary School

• Lenora B. Smith Elementary School
• Liberty City Elementary School
• Lillie C. Evans Elementary School
• Little River Elementary School
• Lorah Park Elementary School
• Ludlam Elementary School
• Madie Ives Elementary School
  Madie Ives Elementary School
  Madie Ives Elementary School is a primary school located in North Miami Beach, Florida, within Miami-Dade County.-Press coverage:On June 23, 2005, third-grade teacher Michael Garrison was arrested on suspicion of selling assault rifles to a convicted felon...
  
  
• Mae Walters Elementary School
• Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary School
• Martin Luther King Elementary School
• Maya Angelou Elementary School
• Meadowlane Elementary School
• Melrose Elementary School
• Miami Gardens Elementary School
• Miami Heights Elementary School
• Miami Park Elementary School
• Miami Shores Elementary School
• Miami Springs Elementary School
• Morningside Elementary School
• Myrtle Grove Elementary School
• Naranja Elementary School
• Nathan Young Elementary School
• Natural Bridge Elementary School
• Norland Elementary School
• North Beach Elementary School
• North County Elementary School
• North Dade Center for Modern Language
• North Glade Elementary School
• North Hialeah Elementary School
• North Miami Elementary School
• North Twin Lakes Elementary School
• Norwood Elementary School
• Oak Grove Elementary School
• Ojus Elementary School
• Olinda Elementary School
• Oliver Hoover Elementary School
• Olympia Heights Elementary School
• Orchard Villa Elementary School
• Palm Lakes Elementary School
• Palm Springs North Elementary School
• Palmetto Elementary School
• Parkview Elementary School
• Parkway Elementary School
• Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary
• Perrine Elementary School
• Phillis Wheatley Elementary School
• Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary School
• Pine Lake Elementary School
• Pine Villa Elementary School
• Pinecrest Elementary School
• Poinciana Park Elementary School
• Rainbow Park Elementary School
• Redland Elementary School
• Redondo Elementary School
• Riverside Elementary School
• Robert Russa Moton Elementary School
• Rockway Elementary School
• Royal Green Elementary School
• Royal Palm Elementary School
• Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor Elementary School
• Santa Clara Elementary School
• Scott Lake Elementary School
• Seminole Elementary School
• Shadowlawn Elementary School
• Shenandoah Elementary School
• Silver Bluff Elementary School
• Skyway Elementary School
• Snapper Creek Elementary School
• South Hialeah Elementary School
• South Miami Elementary School
  South Miami Elementary School
  South Miami Elementary School is a primary school for grades kindergarten-K5 in South Miami, Florida. It offers magnet programs in art, music, dance and drama for grades 3-5. In 2005 the enrollment was 573 students....
  
  
• South Miami Heights Elementary School
• South Pointe Elementary School
• Southside Elementary School
  Southside School (Miami, Florida)
  The Southside School is a historic school in Brickell in Downtown Miami, Florida. It is located at 45 Southwest 13th Street. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
  
  
• Spanish Lake Elementary School
• Springview Elementary School
• Sunset Elementary School
• Sunset Park Elementary School
  Sunset Park Elementary School
  Sunset Park Elementary School is an elementary school located at 10235 S.W. 84th Street in Miami, Florida. The school is popular due to its multi-ethnic community which is reflective of the cultural diversity of Miami-Dade County.- Mission statement :...
  
  
• Sweetwater Elementary School
• Sylvania Heights Elementary School
• Thena C. Crowder Elementary School
• Toussaint L'Ouverture Elementary School
• Treasure Island Elementary School
• Tropical Elementary School
• Twin Lakes Elementary School
• Van E. Blanton Elementary School
• Village Green Elementary School
• Vineland Elementary School
• Virginia A. Boone/Highland Oaks Elementary School
• W. J. Bryan Elementary School
• Wesley Matthews Elementary School
• West Hialeah Gardens Elementary School
• West Homestead Elementary School
• West Laboratory Elementary School
  West Laboratory Elementary School
  Henry S. West Laboratory School is an elementary school located at 5300 Carillo Street in Coral Gables, Florida, USA. located on the University of Miami campus. Its principal is Barbara Soto and it is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System. The school's mascot is the Crab, and its...
  
  
• Whispering Pines Elementary School
• William A. Chapman Elementary School
• William Lehman Elementary School
• Zora Neale Hurston Elementary School

Middle schools

There are 59 middle schools serving MDCPS. They usually teach grades 6th to 8th, exceptional including 9th grade.

• Allapattah Middle School
  Allapattah Middle School
  Allapattah Middle School is a middle school located at 1331 NW 46th Street in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The school serves 676 students in grades 6-8. Allapattah is in the feeder pattern for Miami Jackson Senior High School....
  
  
• Andover Middle School
• Arvida Middle School
  Arvida Middle School
  Arvida Middle School is a Blue Ribbon middle school in Miami, Florida, USA, founded in 1975, that educates around 1,850 students in grades 6-8. The Principal since August 2006, who was promoted from Assistant Principal, is Nancy Aragon.-Academics:...
  
  
• Brownsville Middle School
• Campbell Drive Middle School
• Carol City Middle School
• Centennial Middle School
• Charles R. Drew Middle School
• Citrus Grove Middle School
• Country Club Middle School
• Cutler Ridge Middle School
• Doral Middle School
  Doral Middle School
  Doral Middle School is a secondary school located at 5005 NW 112 Avenue, in Doral, Florida, USA; its principal is Marie P. caceres.The Assistiant principal is Daniel Atlas Doral Middle School is located on approximately of land within Access Center 3's westernmost boundary. The main architect was...
  
  
• George Washington Carver Middle School
  G.W. Carver Middle School (Miami, Florida)
  George Washington Senior High School served grades Kindergarten to Twelfth located in Coral Gables, Florida, it is under the supervision of the Dade County Public Schools...
  
  
• Glades Middle School
• Ham Middle School
• Hammocks Middle School
• Henry H. Filer
• Herbert A. Ammons Middle School
• Hialeah Middle School
• Hialeah Gardens Middle School
• Highland Oaks Middle School
• Homestead Middle School
• Horace Mann Middle School
• Howard A. Doolin
• Howard D. McMillan
• John F. Kennedy Middle School
• Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School
• Jose de Diego Middle School
• Jose Marti Middle School
  Jose Marti Middle School
  José Marti Middle School is a middle school in Hialeah, Florida, established in 1987.-Feeder pattern:The following schools feed into this Middle School:* Ben Sheppard ElementaryThis Middle School feeds into the following schools:...
  
  
• Kinloch Park Middle School
• Lake Stevens Middle School, grades 6-7
• Lamar Louise Curry Middle School

• Lawton Chiles Middle School
• Madison Middle School
• Arthur & Polly Mays Middle School
• Miami Edison Middle School
• Miami Lakes Middle School
• Miami Springs Middle School
  Miami Springs Middle School
  Miami Springs Middle School is a secondary school located in the city Miami Springs, Florida, USA. Its mascot is the Eagles.-Information:The school was built in 1955. It is one of the first schools in the nation to win the Bronze Award for being a healthy school...
  
  
• Nautilus Middle School
• Norland Middle School
• North Dade Middle School
• North Miami Middle School
• Palm Springs Middle School
• Palmetto Middle School
  Palmetto Middle School
  Palmetto Middle School is a middle school in Williamston, South Carolina, that serves about 850 students. The current Principal is Mr. Barry Knight. The Assistant Principals are Mr. David Armstrong and Mrs. Lisa Cassidy...
  
  
• Parkway Middle School
• Paul W. Bell Middle School
• Ponce de Leon Middle School
• Redland Middle School
• Richmond Heights Middle School
• Riviera Middle School
• Rockway Middle School
• Ruben Dario Middle School
• Shenandoah Middle School
• South Dade Middle School, grades 4-8
• South Miami Middle School
• Southwood Middle School
  Southwood Middle School
  Southwood Middle School Center for the Arts, more commonly known as Southwood Middle School, is a public secondary school located on 16301 Southwest 80th Avenue in Palmetto Bay, Florida. The principal is Ms. Deborah Leal...
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• W.R. Thomas Middle School
• West Miami Middle School
• Westview Middle School
• Zelda Glazer Middle School

K-8 schools

There are 26 Kindergarten-to-8th grade (K-8) Centers serving MDCPS. K-8 Centers are generally setup to serve communities with limited building space for two separate campuses. They are run as both an elementary and middle school out of the same campus with joint administration, staff, and schedules. Middle school-aged students generally have separate buildings dedicated to them.

• Ada Merritt K-8 Center
• Aventura Waterways K-8 Center
• Bob Graham Education Center
  Bob Graham Education Center
  Bob Graham Education Center is a primary school located in Miami Lakes, Florida. The school serves students in kindergarten through 8th grade; students matriculate to Barbara Goleman High School. It has been an A+ school for 7 years.-Campus:...
  
  
• Coconut Palm K-8 Academy
• Coral Way K-8 Center
  Coral Way K-8 Center
  Coral Way School, built as Coral Way Elementary School in 1936, is a K-8 school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school, which began teaching in English and Spanish in 1963, was a pioneer in the field of bilingual instruction in the United States and remains the only bilingual K-8 center in the...
  
  
• David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center
• Devon Aire K-8 Center
• Dr. Rolando Espinosa K-8 Center
• Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center
  Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center
  Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center is a K-8 Center located at 5950 NW 114 Avenue, in Doral, Florida....
  
  
• Everglades K-8 Center
• Fienberg/Fisher K-8 Center
• Florida International Elementary & Academy
• Frank C. Martin K-8 Center
• Jane Roberts K-8 Center
• Kenwood K-8 Center

• Key Biscayne K-8 Center
• Leewood K-8 Center
• Leisure City K-8 Center
• Linda Lentin K-8 Center
  Linda Lentin K-8 Center
  The Linda Lentin K-8 Center is a public school located in North Miami, Florida, USA. The principal is Agenoria Powell.- History :...
  
  
• Mandarin Lakes K-8 Academy
• M.A. Milam K-8 Center
• Miami Lakes K-8 Center
• Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K-8 Center
• Silver Palms K-8 Center
• Sunny Isles Beach Community School
• Winston Park K-8 Center

High schools

There are 37 high schools serving MDCPS. They teach grades from 9th to 12th. The first high school, Miami Senior High School, opened in 1898.

• Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High Biscayne Bay Campus
  Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High Biscayne Bay Campus
  Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High Biscayne Bay Campus is a secondary school in North Miami, Florida, United States which opened August 2009, built two blocks north of Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. Built to relieve...
  
   (2009)
• American High School
  American High School (Miami-Dade County, Florida)
  American High School is a secondary school located in Country Club, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. The principal is Luis E. Diaz. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.- Overview :...
  
   (1976)
• Arthur & Polly Mays Sr. High
• Barbara Goleman Senior High School
• G. Holmes Braddock High School
  G. Holmes Braddock High School
  G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School is a secondary school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school is named after a former 38-year member of the school board, who, as chairperson from 1969–1970, led the district's efforts to desegregate its schools....
  
   (1989)
• George Washington Carver Sr. High School (1899)
• Coral Gables High School
  Coral Gables High School
  Coral Gables Senior High School is a secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, USA.Coral Gables SHS opened its doors in 1950; its architectural design reflects a Spanish influence with its open courtyards adorned with water fountains...
  
   (1950)
• John A. Ferguson High School (2003)
• Hialeah High School
  Hialeah High School
  Hialeah High School is a secondary school located at 251 E 47th Street in Hialeah, Florida, USA.-History:Hialeah High School opened its doors to students and staff in 1953 to serve the growing communities of Northwestern Miami-Dade County. It is one of the oldest secondary schools in the county,...
  
   (1954)
• Hialeah Gardens High School
  Hialeah Gardens High School
  Hialeah Gardens High School is a secondary school in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, United States which opened on August 2009. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. Due to unforeseen construction delays, the student body was divided between the Goleman campus and the Hialeah...
  
   (2009)
• Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School
  Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School
  Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School is a secondary school operated by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, located at 7977 W 12th Avenue in Hialeah, Florida, USA, on the boundary with the city of Miami Lakes.-Construction:...
  
   (1971)
• Homestead High School
  Homestead High School (Homestead, Florida)
  Homestead High School is a secondary school located at 2351 SE 12 Avenue in Homestead, Florida. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district. The principal is Ms. Cory R. Rodriguez....
  
   (1979)
• D.A. Dorsey Sr. High School (1938)
• Dr. Michael M. Krop High School
  Dr. Michael M. Krop High School
  Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1410 County Line Road in the Ives Estates area of Unincorporated north Miami-Dade County , Florida, USA...
  
   (1998)
• Miami Beach Senior High School (1924)
• Miami Carol City High School
  Miami Carol City High School
  Miami Carol City Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3422 N.W. 187th Streetin Miami Gardens, Florida, United States; its principal is Nelson Izquierdo. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. The school serves students from area of Miami...
  
   (1963)
• Miami Central High School
  Miami Central High School
  Miami Central Senior High School, commonly referred to as Central Rockets, is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. The school serves most of the northern fringes of the city of Miami as well as parts of North Miami,...
  
   (1959)
• Miami Coral Park High School
  Miami Coral Park High School
  Miami Coral Park Senior High School is a secondary school, located at 8865 S.W. 16th Street in the Westchester neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The school was opened in 1963. It was the first school with A/C in south Florida. The principal is Dr. Nick JacAngelo...
  
   (1963)
• Miami Edison High School
  Miami Edison High School
  Miami Edison High School is a secondary school located at 6161 NW 5th Court in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, USA. The provost is Dr. Pablo G. Ortiz...
  
   (1930)
• Miami Jackson High School
  Miami Jackson High School
  Miami Jackson High School, also known as Andrew Jackson High School or Jackson High School, is a high school located at 1751 NW 36th St in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Its athletic team name is the Generals....
  
   (1898)
• Miami Killian High School
  Miami Killian High School
  Miami Killian Senior High School is a secondary school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System.-Academics:...
  
   (1965)

• Miami Norland High School (1958)
• Miami Northwestern High School
  Miami Northwestern High School
  Miami Northwestern Senior High School is a public high school located in Miami, Florida, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. It serves the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami. The school colors are Old Gold and Royal Blue...
  
   (1951)
• Miami Palmetto High School
  Miami Palmetto High School
  Miami Palmetto Senior High School is a secondary school located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street in Pinecrest, Florida, USA, a Miami suburb; its principal is Allison Harley. The school is on 23 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district....
  
   (1958)
• Miami High School (1903)
• Miami Southridge High School
  Miami Southridge High School
  Miami Southridge Senior High School is a secondary school located at 19355 SW 114 Avenue in Miami, Florida, USA . Its principal is David K. Moore...
  
   (1974)
• Miami Springs High School
  Miami Springs High School
  Miami Springs High School is a secondary school located at 751 Dove Avenue in Miami Springs, Florida, USA; its principal is Anna L. Rodriguez. The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public School's nationally-accredited magnet program, specializing in travel and tourism, the oldest of its kind in...
  
   (1964)
• Miami Sunset High School
  Miami Sunset High School
  Miami Sunset Senior High School is a secondary school of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System located at 13125 SW 72nd Street in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. Its principal is Lucia Cox....
  
   (1977)
• North Dade Jr./ Sr. High School (1957)
• North Miami High School
  North Miami High School
  North Miami Senior High School , is a secondary school located at 800 NE 137th St in the city of North Miami, Florida, USA.North Miami Senior High School opened as Edward L. Constans Junior-Senior High School in 1951, with 1,500 students in 7th, 8th and 9th grades. Another grade was added each year...
  
   (1954)
• North Miami Beach High School
  North Miami Beach High School
  North Miami Beach Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1247 NE 167 Street in North Miami Beach, Florida, USA; its current principal is Raymond L. Fontana. NMB High School was built in 1971 as an overcrowding reliever school for North Miami High School to the south at 800 N.E. 137...
  
   (1971)
• Ronald W. Reagan/Doral High School
  Ronald W. Reagan Doral High School
  Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School is a secondary school located at 8600 NW 107 Avenue, in Doral, Florida, USA, a Miami suburb; its principal is Jacques Y. Bentolila...
  
   (2006)
• School for Advanced Studies
  School for Advanced Studies
  The School for Advanced Studies is a SACS accredited dual-enrollment secondary school in Miami, Florida. It is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System and is situated at four campuses of Miami Dade College...
  
   (1988)
• South Dade High School
  South Dade High School
  South Dade Senior High School is a secondary school located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, near Homestead.The school was established in 1953....
  
   (1953)
• South Miami High School
  South Miami High School
  South Miami Senior High School is a high school located at 6856 SW 53rd Street in Miami, Florida, in the United States. Its principal is Gilberto Bonce.The school is about a mile and a half west of the University of Miami...
  
   (1971)
• Southwest Miami Senior High School
  Southwest Miami Senior High School
  Southwest Miami High School is a secondary school located at 8855 SW 48 Terrace in Miami, Florida, USA; its principal is James R. Haj. School colors are purple and white.- History :...
  
   (1956)
• Booker T. Washington High School (1926)
• Westland Hialeah High School
  Westland Hialeah High School
  Westland Hialeah High School is a secondary school located at 4000 West 18th Avenue in Hialeah, Florida, USA, a suburb of Miami.The school is a part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools...
  
   (2007)
• Felix Varela High School
  Felix Varela High School
  Felix Varela Senior High School is a secondary school located at 15255 SW 96th St in The Hammocks, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. Its principal is Connie Navarro.Varela was built as an overcrowding relief school for G...
  
   (2000)
• Young Men's Preparatory Academy (all-boys) (2008)
• Young Women's Prepatory Academy (all-girls) (2007)

Magnet high schools

There are 16 Magnet High Schools serving MDCPS. They normally serve grades 9th to 12th. These schools do not take in students from their area. Instead, students must apply and test into these schools which offer a specific course of study.

• Coral Way School (1987) - Advanced Education (Colombia)
• Academy for Advanced Academics
  Academy for Advanced Academics
  The Academy for Advanced Academics is a SACS accredited dual-enrollment secondary school in Miami, Florida. It is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System and is situated at the Modesto A...
  
   (2009) - Advanced Education
• Coral Reef High School
  Coral Reef High School
  Coral Reef Senior High School is a secondary school located at 10101 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, Florida; its principal is currently Mrs. Adrianne F. Leal. Coral Reef is locally known as "Miami's Mega Magnet School" since it offers six different magnet programs.According to Newsweek's List of the...
  
   (1997) - Visual and Performing Arts, Legal and Public Affairs, Leisure Medicine and Health Science, Business and Finance, Agriculture and Technical Engineering, International Baccalaureate
• Design and Architecture High School
  Design and Architecture High School
  Design and Architecture Senior High School is a magnet secondary school in the heart of the Design District in Miami, Florida, United States. US News & World Report ranked DASH as the 15th best public high school in the nation in 2009....
  
   (1990) - Architecture, Design (Industrial, Fashion, Entertainment Technology, Graphic Design), Fine Arts
• Miami Beach Senior High (2009) - Global Studies and Global Citizenship (Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology, Visual and Performing Arts, Digital Media, Marine and Environmental Science, Entrepreneurship, and World Languages)
• Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial High School - Law Studies, Forensic Science, and Homeland Security
• Miami Coral Park Senior High School (1963) - Engineering
• MAST Academy
  MAST Academy
  Maritime and Science Technology Academy, commonly referred to as MAST Academy, or MAST, is a public high school in Miami, Florida, on Virginia Key. MAST Academy is a magnet school under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August...
  
   (1990) - Marine/Science
• MAST @ Homestead Academy
  MAST Academy @ Homestead Medical Magnet
  MAST Academy @ Homestead Medical Magnet is a secondary magnet school located in Homestead, Florida. The school recently opened for the 2010-2011 school year. Its current principal is Greg Zawyer. The acceptance at MAST Academy @ Homestead is done via random selection process...
  
   (2010) - Physical Therapy, Pharmecutical, and Biomedical(2011)
• Miami Lakes Educational Center
  Miami Lakes Educational Center
  Miami Lakes Educational Center is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. It is one of only three area vocational-technical training centers. It is the only dual-delivery school in Miami-Dade County, providing adult vocational training in conjunction with a full-service high school...
  
   (1998)
• New World School of the Arts
  New World School of the Arts
  New World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...
  
   (1987) - Music, Visual Arts, Dance, and Theater
• Robert Morgan Educational Center
  Robert Morgan Educational Center
  Robert Morgan Educational Center, sometimes denoted RMEC, is a secondary school located at 18180 SW 122nd Avenue in Miami, Florida. As a magnet school, Robert Morgan sports the juxtaposition of a vocational training and classical learning environment that is unique to other schools in its region...
  
   (2002) Hospitality & tourism, Arts and Entertainment, Engineering, Health sciences, Information tech., Beusiness, Performing, Recording & Visual arts, Specialty Service Industries, Technical Career Services, and Cosmotology
• School for Advanced Studies
  School for Advanced Studies
  The School for Advanced Studies is a SACS accredited dual-enrollment secondary school in Miami, Florida. It is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System and is situated at four campuses of Miami Dade College...
  
   (1988) - Advanced Education
• South Dade High School
  South Dade High School
  South Dade Senior High School is a secondary school located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, near Homestead.The school was established in 1953....
  
   (2008) - Professional Services; International Finance, Business & Technology; Sports, Nutrition & Health Science; Visual & Performing Arts; Law Studies & Public Safety; and International Education (IB)
• TERRA Environmental Research Institute
  TERRA Environmental Research Institute
  TERRA Environmental Research Institute is a secondary school in Miami, Florida, United States that opened in 2009 with a class of new freshman. TERRA Environmental Research Institute is a LEED Certified School. This school has three magnet academies: Biomedical Research, Robotics & Engineering, and...
  
   (2009)- Environmental Science, Biomedical Research, Robotics and Engineering
• William H. Turner Technical Arts High School
  William H. Turner Technical Arts High School
  William H. Turner Technical Arts High School, commonly referred to as Turner Tech, is a secondary technical school located at 10151 NW 19th Avenue in West Little River, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. Turner Tech sits behind Miami Central High School. The principal of the school is Ms...
  
   (1993) - Technical School

Adult/vocational centers

There are 23 Adult/Vocational Centers, more commonly referred to as night schools, serving MDCPS. These centers are set up for adults to earn their G.E.D, or for students older than the age of 16 to make-up classes they have failed and have no slots for in their daytime schedules. Some night schools also offer vocational programs and free English classes for non-native speakers. Adult Centers also offer free Citizenship classes. They also offer Saturday classes to accommodate those students who can't attend during the week. They are generally housed at high school campuses with classes taking place in the evening hours.

• American High School Adult Center
• Coral Gables High School Adult Center
• D.A. Dorsey Educational Center
• English Center
• George T. Baker Aviation
• Hialeah Adult Education Center
• Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School Adult Center
• Lindsey Hopkins Technology Center
• Miami Beach High School Adult Center
• Miami Coral Park High School Adult Center
• Miami Jackson High School Adult Center
• Miami Lakes Adult Education Center

• Miami Palmetto High School Adult Education Center
• Miami Senior High School Adult Education Center
• Miami Springs Senior High School Adult Education Center
• Miami Sunset High School Adult Center
• North Miami High School Adult Center
• Robert Morgan Vocational Technical Institute
• South Dade High School Adult Center
• South Dade High School Skills Center
• Southwest High School Adult Center
• William H. Turner Technical Adult & Community Education Center
• Virtual Adult Center - Online School

Charter schools

There are 53 Charter Schools that are set up as publicly funded, but are privately operated in MDCPS. Currently, there are around 19,000 students enrolled in charter schools in the county. Students that attend charter schools do not need to pass an examination before being considered for a spot at the school, but must maintain specific grades and behavioral standards to maintain their enrollment at the school.

• Academy of Arts & Minds (High)
• A Child's Journey Charter School (Elementary)
• Archimedean Academy (Elementary)
• Archimedean Middle Conservatory (Middle)
• Archimedean Upper Conservatory (High)
• ASPIRA Eugenio Maria de Hostos Youth Leadership (Middle)
• ASPIRA South Youth Leadership Charter School (Middle)
• ASPIRA Raúl Arnaldo Martinez Charter School (Middle)
• Aventura City of Excellence Charter School (K-8 Center)
• Balere Language Academy (K-8 Center)
• Coral Reef Montessori Academy Charter School (K-8 Center)
• Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores
  Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores
  Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores is a public charter school located on at Barry University Campus in Miami Shores, Florida. Its current principal is Gary Meredith.-Overview:...
  
   (Middle/High)
• Doral Academy (Elementary)
• Doral Academy High School (High)
• Doral Academy Charter Middle School (Middle)
• Doral Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy (High)
• Downtown Miami Charter School (Elementary)
• Early Beginnings Academy – Civic Center (Elementary)
• Early Beginnings Academy – North Shore (Elementary)
• Florida International Academy (Middle)
• International Studies Charter High School
  International Studies Charter High School
  International Studies Charter High School, also known as ISCHS, is a high school formed by the Spanish, Italian, and French Embassies in association with Miami-Dade County Public Schools...
  
   (High)
• Keys Gate Charter School (K-8 Center)
• Lawrence Academy (Middle)
• Life Skills Center Miami-Dade County (High)
• Mater Academy East Charter School (Elementary)

• Mater Academy Elementary School (Elementary)
• Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School
  Mater Academy Charter School
  Mater Academy Charter School is located in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. Principal Judith C. Marty opened the school in 2003 and has been since been praised as one of the best charter school principles in America...
  
   (Middle/High)
• Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy
  Mater Academy Charter School
  Mater Academy Charter School is located in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. Principal Judith C. Marty opened the school in 2003 and has been since been praised as one of the best charter school principles in America...
  
   (High)
• Mater East Academy Middle School (Middle)
• Miami Children’s Museum Charter School (Elementary)
• Miami Community Charter School (Elementary)
• Oxford Academy of Miami (Elementary)
• Pinecrest Academy Charter Middle School (Middle)
• Pinecrest Preparatory Academy (Elementary)
• Pinecrest Preparatory (High)
• Renaissance Elementary Charter School (Elementary)
• Renaissance Middle Charter School (Middle)
• Rosa Parks Charter School/Florida City (K-8 Center)
• Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity (Elementary)
• Sandor Wiener School of Opportunity, South (Elementary)
• School for Integrated Academics & Technologies (High)
• Somerset Academy (Elementary)
• Somerset Academy Charter High School (High)
• Somerset Academy Charter Middle School (Middle)
• Spiral Tech Elementary Charter School (Elementary)
• Spirit City Academy (Middle)
• Sunshine Academy (K-8 Center)
• The Charter School at Waterstone (K-8 Center)
• Theodore R. and Thelma A. Gibson Charter School (K-8 Center)
• Transitional Learning Academy (Middle/High)
• Youth Co-Op Charter School (K-8 Center)

Alternative schools

There are 16 Alternative Schools serving MDCPS. They are set up for as a last resort for students that constantly have behavioral or extreme academic problems. Also, any child released from a Youth Detention Center must attend an alternative school until he or she is deemed ready to return to normal schools.

• Academy for Community Education
• Alternative Outreach Program
• C.O.P.E. North Alternative Education
• Corporate Academy North
• Corporate Academy South
• D.A. Dorsey Educational Center
• Dorothy Wallace Educational Center
• Headstart Transition Center
• Jann Mann Opportunity Education
• JRE Lee Educational Center
• Juvenile Justice Center
• M-DVS, Miami Dade Virtual School/FLVS
• Miami Douglas MacArthur North
• Miami Douglas MacArthur South
• TAP Program
• The 500 Role Model Academy

Specialized centers

There are 5 Specialized Centers serving MDCPS. They are set up for students that have extreme mental or learning disabilities which would impair them from attending classes with students that do not have such disabilities. It is becoming more and more common for regular schools to set up their own specialized education (Special Ed) programs.

• Instructional Systemwide Center - Administrative office that runs the individual school programs.
• Merrick Education Center
• Neva King Cooper Education Center
• Robert Rennick Education Center
• Ruth Owens Krusé Education Center

Broadcasting

MDCPS also owns and operates WLRN-TV

WLRN-TV

WLRN-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public television station broadcasting on channel 17 in Miami, Florida.WLRN-TV signed on the air as WSEC-TV in 1962 as a second educational non-profit television station, licensed to the Dade County School Board, and affiliated with National...

(Channel 17), a PBS member television station, and WLRN-FM

WLRN-FM

WLRN-FM is a class C1 FM station on 91.3 and is the main public radio station for South Florida and the Keys based in Miami. The station is owned-and-operated by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and is the area's NPR member station....

(91.3 FM), an NPR

NPR

NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...

 member radio station.

Notable Employees

• Jay W. Jensen
  Jay W. Jensen
  Jay W. Jensen was a Miami Beach, Florida drama teacher known as "The Teacher to the Stars". Jensen is credited with inspiring the acting talents of such well known actors as Andy García and Mickey Rourke.-Early years:...
  
  : Drama teacher at Miami Beach Senior High School. His students included such movie stars as Mickey Rourke
  Mickey Rourke
  Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
  
   and Andy Garcia
  Andy García
  Andrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman...
  
  .

• William Conroy: ESOL teacher. Veteran extra and character actor who appeared in over 25 movies made in Italy, including The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

• Lois Brooks: ESOL teacher. Actress in the 1960s cult film classic, Monster A Go Go.

• Carl Starling: Counselor. Former professional boxing prospect of the 1960s. Featured in the Ring Magazine. Actor who appeared in films with Frank Sinatra
  Frank Sinatra
  Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
  
   and Robert Redford
  Robert Redford
  Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
  
  .

• Steven Brack: ESOL teacher. Actor who worked in over a dozen movies.

• Sherman Bergman: ESOL teacher. Kickboxer credited as the only fighter to have knocked down Jean-Claude Van Damme
  Jean-Claude Van Damme
  Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
  
   in a sanctioned match.

• Milton Bowen: Security. Professional heavyweight boxer. Record 35-9-0.

See also

• Miami-Dade County
• Miami, Florida
  Miami, Florida
  Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
  
  
• Education in Florida
  Education in Florida
  The Florida education system consists of public and private schools in Florida, including the State University System of Florida , the Florida College System , the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and other private institutions, and also secondary and primary schools.- Overview...
  
  

External links

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools