Redland Middle School, Homestead FL

Original Research by School Decision on Redland Middle School

Redland Middle School sits on SW 248th Street in Homestead, at the southern edge of Miami-Dade County, serving sixth through eighth graders as a regular public school within the Miami-Dade district. The school draws from a community that is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students making up a meaningful secondary share and white and other groups together representing a small fraction of enrollment. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic realities of the broader Homestead area. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in what was provided.

On state assessments, proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science fall below the midpoint on most measures. In math, sixth graders perform somewhat better than eighth graders, while seventh graders land in between. ELA results follow a similar pattern, with seventh and eighth graders posting slightly stronger results than sixth graders, though none of the grade levels reach a majority proficient. The eighth-grade science assessment shows roughly four in ten students reaching proficiency. These are the most recent Florida FAST and Statewide Science Assessment results available; trend data across prior years was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results are improving, flat, or declining. A parent who wants to understand the school's trajectory would do well to ask directly about year-over-year performance and what academic support structures are in place for students who are behind grade level.

Comparison against other districts in Miami-Dade County was not available in a form the data could support, as the comparison cohort was too small to produce a meaningful ranking. So this school's standing relative to neighboring schools cannot be characterized here beyond what the raw proficiency figures suggest.

Redland is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and two district-level developments are worth knowing. Voters approved a property tax increase several years ago that funds teacher pay and school safety staffing, with that higher rate set to expire in 2027 unless renewed, meaning it is an ongoing cost for homeowners and an ongoing revenue source for the district. More immediately, the district is managing a sustained enrollment decline that has prompted a proposal to close or consolidate up to nine schools across the three regional zones, with some reconfigured as K-8, 6-12, or K-12 schools. Families moving into the area should be aware that school assignments and grade configurations could shift before the next school year.

On the cell phone question, Miami-Dade initially responded to state pressure by directing the superintendent to develop screen-time education programs rather than imposing a ban, but Florida legislation passed in 2025 is moving toward a statewide prohibition on phone use during the school day, with a policy required by the end of 2026. Classroom rules on this are likely to change.

The neighborhood itself is spread-out, car-oriented suburban Homestead, with the historic downtown a few miles away as the city's civic center. Major local employers include Homestead Hospital, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, and the speedway, alongside retail anchors and a strong agricultural base. The housing market around the school carries home values that substantially exceed both the state and national medians, reflecting South Florida's broader affordability pressure. Rental cost data specific to this zip code was not available.

Program offerings at the school were not included in the data provided, so it is not possible to describe electives, athletics, or any specialized academic tracks beyond what the standard middle school structure implies. For a family weighing whether Redland is the right fit for their child, that is a meaningful gap to fill with a direct conversation with the school.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 64% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 54% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 60% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 63% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 62% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 60% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolMIAMI-DADE, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income47%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income48%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income37%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income39%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income51%Higher-income48%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income40%3 pp gap