The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Math. The lowest is 54% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hialeah Gardens Elementary School
Hialeah Gardens Elementary School sits in a dense, predominantly Hispanic city in northwest Miami-Dade County, wedged between Hialeah and the industrial corridor along Okeechobee Road. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade and draws from residential neighborhoods of single-family homes and large apartment and condo complexes nearby. The enrollment is on the larger side for an elementary school, and the student body is almost entirely Hispanic, reflecting the surrounding community where Spanish is the dominant language of daily life. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly working-class population. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On the Florida state assessments, the picture is mixed but leans positive in the early grades and softer in the upper ones. In third-grade math, most students reached proficiency, which is a strong result. Fourth-grade math held reasonably well, though it dipped from the third-grade mark. By fifth grade, math proficiency fell further, still above half but meaningfully lower than the earlier grades. Reading and language arts followed a somewhat similar arc: third-grade ELA proficiency came in at roughly the same level as fifth-grade math, fourth-grade ELA was the weakest result across all tested subjects and grades, and fifth-grade ELA recovered slightly. The fifth-grade science assessment showed a bare majority of students reaching proficiency. The trend data across years was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results are improving or holding steady. Parents looking for more context on the trajectory would want to ask the school directly.
Comparison against other districts in Miami-Dade County was not computed because the county has very few districts, making a meaningful peer comparison impractical from the data available.
No program-specific information was provided for this school, so it is not possible to say from this data whether there are enrichment offerings, dual-language programming, gifted tracks, or specialized support services beyond the standard elementary curriculum.
The housing market around the school is expensive relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values in this zip code are well above the Florida statewide median and well above the national median, and they have edged down modestly over the past year. Rents are also elevated, consuming a substantial share of household income for typical renters. The city itself is actively adding housing stock through new residential development on former farmland, and affordability pressure in the broader Hialeah-Hialeah Gardens area is ongoing.
Families moving into Miami-Dade County Public Schools should be aware of two district-level realities. First, sustained enrollment decline has prompted the district to propose closing and consolidating several schools across its regions. Families new to the area should verify their assigned school and ask about any boundary changes before enrolling, because grade configurations and attendance zones may shift. Second, a voter-approved property-tax increase continues to fund teacher pay and campus security; it is set to expire in 2027 unless renewed, which matters to homeowners budgeting around the school levy.
The city itself is car-dependent, with modest transit access limited to a small number of bus routes. There is no Metrorail stop within Hialeah Gardens itself. Daily errands and commuting largely require a car. The civic infrastructure includes a recently rebuilt branch library co-located with a park, which serves families with young children, and a handful of neighborhood parks within the area.
For a family already rooted in this community, the school reflects its neighborhood: heavily Latino, working-class in economic composition, and showing solid early-elementary math results with softer performance as students move into the upper elementary grades. Parents of students entering fourth or fifth grade may want to follow up with the school on what supports are in place for students who are not yet proficient in ELA.
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