The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Math. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Golden Glades Elementary School
Golden Glades Elementary sits on the northwestern edge of Opa-locka, a city within Miami-Dade County, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one of the largest urban districts in the country.
The school is small for its grade band. A large majority of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with substantial economic need. The student body is predominantly Black, with a meaningful Hispanic share and very few students of other racial backgrounds. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
Academic performance, measured by Florida's FAST assessments in the most recent school year, is uneven and in several areas low. In reading and language arts, proficiency rates across third, fourth, and fifth grades range from well below half at the lower and upper ends of that span to roughly half at fourth grade. The third-grade reading figure is particularly worth attention; early literacy is a foundational marker, and a parent would do well to ask the school directly about its intervention and support systems for students who are not yet reading at grade level. Math results show more variation: fourth grade reached a notably stronger proficiency rate, placing it meaningfully above the other two tested grades, while third and fifth grades came in at or below half. Fifth-grade science proficiency, on the Florida Statewide Science Assessment, was quite low. Trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or a stable pattern.
Because the neighbor comparison set available here covers only a small number of districts in Miami-Dade County, a statistically meaningful county-level ranking could not be computed, and that comparison is not presented.
No information on program offerings was available for this school.
Housing in the zip code surrounding Golden Glades is priced above the Florida statewide median and roughly in line with national typical values, though it has edged downward year over year. Rents have moved modestly upward. The estimated cost of carrying a mortgage in this area is substantial relative to national income benchmarks, and the rent-to-income ratio suggests renters here are spending a high share of income on housing. For families considering a move to be near this school, the local housing market reflects broader Miami-Dade cost pressures.
The district itself is in a period of notable change. Publicly reported coverage describes sustained enrollment decline across Miami-Dade County Public Schools, with the district in spring 2026 proposing closures and consolidations affecting up to nine schools across all regions. Families moving to the area should be aware that school assignments, grade configurations, and even whether a given campus remains open are subjects the district is actively revisiting. The school board was reported to be voting on these proposals around mid-year 2026. Additionally, voters approved a property-tax referendum several years ago to fund teacher compensation and school safety staffing; that levy is set to expire in 2027 unless renewed, which has implications for both homeowners and school funding continuity. On cell phones, Miami-Dade took an education-focused approach rather than an outright ban, though state legislation is advancing toward a stricter policy district-wide by the end of 2026.
Local context about Opa-locka's character, employers, walkability, and community anchors was not available in the research conducted, so that picture is incomplete here rather than filled in with guesswork.
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