The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Math. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on W. R. Thomas Middle School
W. R. Thomas Middle School sits in southwest Miami, serving sixth through eighth graders as a regular public school within Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with virtually all students identifying as such. A majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning this is a school where economic need is a real presence in the building, though data on English learner and special education rates was not available in what was provided.
On Florida's state assessments, the picture varies by grade and subject. Sixth-grade math proficiency lands at roughly the midpoint of what most would consider a reasonable target range, and seventh-grade math is modestly stronger. Eighth-grade math, however, drops noticeably, with fewer than four in ten students scoring proficient. Reading and language arts follow a different arc: sixth grade is the low point, with fewer than half of students at proficiency, and the numbers tick upward through seventh and eighth. The eighth-grade science assessment, the statewide assessment administered only at that grade, shows a particularly low share of students reaching proficiency, below one in four. Taken together, these results reflect a school where a substantial portion of students are not yet on grade level across core subjects, and parents with questions about how the school supports students who are behind, or how it challenges those who are ahead, would be well served by asking directly. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible from this data alone to say whether results are improving, holding, or declining.
No program offerings were reported in the data, so specific electives, extracurriculars, or specialized tracks cannot be described here. Course access, staffing ratios, attendance, and discipline data were also absent.
The school is located in the 33175 zip code in the Coral Way corridor of southwest Miami. Home values in that zip code are well above both the state and national medians, making this part of Miami genuinely expensive to buy into. Rents are also high and have risen notably over the past year, running well above what most financial guidelines would suggest is affordable relative to typical household income. The rent-to-income ratio sits in territory that strains most budgets. Ownership costs tell a similar story: estimated monthly mortgage payments for a median-priced home in this zip code are steep relative to national norms.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is navigating meaningful turbulence right now. Publicly reported coverage describes a sustained enrollment decline across the district, with the district proposing to close or consolidate up to nine schools ahead of the coming school year. Families moving to the area should be aware that school assignments, grade configurations, and attendance boundaries are actively under review, and a school a family selects today may change. The district also passed a property tax referendum in late 2022 aimed at teacher pay and school safety, which adds a direct cost for homeowners and is set to expire unless voters renew it. A statewide cellphone policy is also in motion, with Florida legislation advancing to prohibit phone use during the school day and a required statewide standard expected by the end of 2026.
Miami itself is a large, dense urban city with distinct neighborhoods. The area around W. R. Thomas, in the Coral Way section of the southwest, features tree-lined streets and a mix of Mediterranean Revival homes and modern condos. The city has a functioning public transit system in Metrorail and the free Metromover downtown, though southwest Miami is more car-dependent than the dense downtown core. Major employers span government, health care, education, and hospitality, with Miami-Dade County Public Schools itself among the largest single employers. The county as a whole has recently posted population decline, attributed publicly to an immigration slowdown, which is the broader context behind the district's falling enrollment.
A graduation rate does not apply here; W. R. Thomas serves only middle school grades.
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