The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pinecrest Academy (south Campus)
Pinecrest Academy (South Campus) is a public charter elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, located in the Kendale Lakes area of western Miami-Dade. The school sits squarely within Miami-Dade County Public Schools' jurisdiction, though as a charter it operates with its own governance independent of the typical district assignment process.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, reflecting the surrounding community, and a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That combination places this school in a context that makes its academic results worth examining carefully. On Florida's FAST assessments, third graders score well in both math and ELA, with math performance particularly strong. By fifth grade, math proficiency comes down meaningfully from that early-grades high point, while ELA scores at fifth grade are strong and slightly above the fourth-grade rate. Science proficiency at fifth grade, measured by the state's Statewide Science Assessment, lands in a solid range. Taken together, the picture is of a school performing clearly above the midpoint for Florida elementary schools, especially given its economic profile. No multi-year trend data was available for this school, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a climb, a plateau, or a recent shift. Data on English learner services and special education populations was not reported in the available records, which is worth asking the school about directly if those services are relevant to your child.
Program-specific information was not available in the data provided. As a charter, families should ask about the school's academic model, any application or lottery process, and what enrichments or specialty programming exist at the South Campus specifically, since charter schools vary considerably in their offerings.
The surrounding housing market in the zip code is expensive relative to both the Florida statewide median and the national median, with home values running well above those benchmarks. Prices have dipped slightly in the past year, and rents have followed a similar modest decline. Even so, the estimated monthly carrying cost of a typical home here runs well above what most households would call affordable by standard income ratios, and rents consume a substantial share of a median-income household's budget.
The broader context for any Miami-Dade family includes two district-level realities worth knowing. First, the district has experienced sharp, sustained enrollment decline, and publicly reported accounts indicate that Miami-Dade schools proposed closing or consolidating up to nine schools in spring 2026 to respond to that trend. Families moving into any part of the district should confirm that boundary or assignment decisions are stable, even for charter schools where enrollment dynamics differ from traditional assignment. Second, a school tax referendum approved by voters in 2022 raised the property tax rate to support teacher compensation and safety staffing; that higher rate is publicly reported to expire in 2027 without renewal, so it is a live funding question for the district in the near term.
Miami itself, as a city, is a large, dense, and genuinely polyglot urban environment. The western Miami-Dade neighborhoods where this school is located are residential and suburban in character, distinct from the walkable downtown core and the Brickell and Edgewater corridors that define Miami's public image. Access to the city's transit infrastructure, its public library system, and its cultural institutions exists but typically requires driving from this part of the county. Major employers in the broader metro span health care, education, government, and hospitality, giving the region a diverse economic base even as the county saw a notable population decline in the most recent year of available data.
Special education and English learner staffing data were not reported for this school. A parent with needs in those areas would benefit from a direct conversation with school administration before enrolling.
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