The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Science. The lowest is 59% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Ludlam Elementary School
Ludlam Elementary sits on a quiet stretch of the South Miami grid, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The school is small for an elementary serving that full grade span, and its student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black and white students making up smaller shares of enrollment. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Ludlam in the range of schools serving a mixed-income but substantially economically diverse population. Data on English learner identification and students with IEPs were not available in what was provided.
On the Florida state assessments, the picture varies noticeably by grade and subject. In math, third and fourth graders perform at a solid but not exceptional clip relative to what a parent would hope to see, while fifth-grade math results are strong, well above what most schools across the state report at that level. Science at fifth grade lands in a similarly healthy range. Reading and language arts tell a somewhat different story: third-grade ELA proficiency is below the majority mark, and fourth-grade ELA falls further, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. Fifth grade recovers considerably. A parent with a child entering third or fourth grade who has concerns about literacy development may want to ask the school directly about reading supports, intervention programs, and how they track progress through those years. Trend data across multiple years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these patterns are improving, holding steady, or shifting.
No program offerings data was provided for Ludlam, so specific enrichment, dual-language, or specialty tracks cannot be described here.
The surrounding neighborhood is one of the more distinctive settings in Miami-Dade. South Miami is a small, older incorporated municipality, one of the earliest in the county, with leafy residential streets built out in mid-century ranch homes and bungalows alongside renovated Mediterranean Revival and contemporary houses. It has a walkable downtown centered on Sunset Drive, served directly by a Metrorail station, with dining and shops within walking distance. South Miami Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, is one of the area's major institutional anchors, and the University of Miami's campus borders the city to the north. The Shops at Sunset Place, long a gathering spot near the Metrorail stop, has seen many of its tenants close and is publicly reported to be headed for full redevelopment into a high-density residential and retail project. The city is also publicly reported to be pursuing a large mixed-use redevelopment of its City Hall property nearby. Taken together, the area is in an active transition from a quiet, low-key suburban character toward something considerably denser, which is worth tracking for anyone thinking about the neighborhood's feel over the coming years.
The housing market around the school reflects South Miami's desirability and proximity to major employment and transit. Home values in the zip code sit dramatically above the Florida state median and are multiples of the national figure, and rents are well above what most Florida markets show. Year-over-year values have ticked up modestly, while rents have risen at a slightly faster pace. The rent-to-income ratio, measured against national median household income, is elevated enough that housing costs will be a real constraint for many families considering the area.
At the district level, Miami-Dade is navigating a meaningful enrollment decline that has prompted proposals to close or consolidate up to nine schools across the district, with some reconfigured into new grade structures. Families relocating to the area should be aware that boundary assignments are in flux, and a school that is zoned for a given address today may look different in the near term. The district passed a property-tax referendum in 2022, adding to homeowner costs, with that rate set to expire in 2027 unless voters renew it. On phone policy, Miami-Dade chose a parent-education approach rather than a ban in 2024, though state legislation advancing toward a districtwide prohibition through the school day may change that picture before long.
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