Somerset Academy Silver Palms, Homestead FL

Original Research by School Decision on Somerset Academy Silver Palms

Somerset Academy Silver Palms is a charter school in Homestead, Florida, serving kindergarten through eighth grade within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. It sits in the Silver Palms area, one of the newer master-planned residential communities in the southern part of Homestead, and draws a large enrollment for a K-8 school, placing it well above what would be considered small for its grade band.

The school's academic results on Florida's FAST assessments are a clear strength. Math proficiency across the tested grades is strong, with third, fourth, seventh, and eighth graders performing at very high levels. The one softer spot in math is fifth grade, where the rate drops noticeably relative to the other grades, a pattern a parent may want to ask the school about directly. Eighth-grade math stands out as particularly high. ELA results show a similar pattern: the upper-middle school grades, sixth through eighth, are performing at strong levels, while the fourth and fifth grade ELA rates are lower and closer to the middle of the state distribution. Science assessments, given in fifth and eighth grade, show a modest result at fifth and a solid result at eighth. Overall, the school's trajectory appears to favor the middle school grades, with the upper elementary years showing more mixed results.

An important caveat: trend data was not available in this profile, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, stability, or a shift from prior years.

A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged population. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, reflecting the broader demographic character of the southern Miami-Dade communities the school draws from. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not reported in the available data, so families with children who have specific language or special-education needs may want to inquire directly with the school about those supports. No information on programs, course offerings, or staffing ratios was available in the data provided.

The school operates as a charter within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, meaning families choose it rather than being assigned to it. One district-level development worth noting: Miami-Dade has seen a sustained enrollment decline across its school system, and the district was in the process of evaluating school closures and boundary changes as of spring 2026, with several South Region schools among those under consideration. Families considering any school in the district should monitor how those changes might affect their options. Separately, a property-tax referendum approved by voters funds teacher pay and campus safety across the district, with the higher rate in effect through 2027 pending renewal, an ongoing cost for homeowners in the area.

Homestead itself is a fast-growing community at the southern tip of Miami-Dade. The Silver Palms neighborhood where the school sits is part of a belt of newer single-family and townhome developments that have expanded rapidly over the past two decades. The area is car-dependent, and housing values near the school are above both the Florida state and national medians, though they have edged down slightly over the past year. Rental costs are high relative to typical household income in the area, with rent-to-income ratios that are stretched by national standards. The area is within reach of Biscayne and Everglades national parks, and Homestead's redeveloped downtown, with its library, park, and entertainment complex, is a short drive away.

For a family weighing this school, the strengths are clear in the math and upper-middle-school results, and the school serves a large peer community within a growing residential area. The softer fourth and fifth grade ELA and the fifth grade math results are worth a conversation with the school, and the gap in data on special populations means families with those needs should seek more information before deciding.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 389%

School 89% · District 69% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 491%

School 91% · District 68% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 62% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 681%

School 81% · District 64% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 791%

School 91% · District 54% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 895%

School 95% · District 60% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 60% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 59% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 60% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 687%

School 87% · District 63% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 788%

School 88% · District 62% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 887%

School 87% · District 60% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Science

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 56% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 46% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above 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 3Lower-income79%Higher-income100%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income69%Higher-income83%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income90%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income85%Higher-income94%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income88%Higher-income94%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income86%Higher-income95%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income90%Higher-income80%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income91%Higher-income87%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income66%Higher-income80%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income80%Higher-income89%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income92%Higher-income87%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income95%Higher-income97%2 pp gap