Original Research by School Decision on Medical Academy for Science and Technology (m.a.s.t.) @ Hom
The Medical Academy for Science and Technology, known as M.A.S.T. at Homestead, is a public magnet-style high school serving grades nine through twelve within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, located on NW 1st Avenue in Homestead, Florida. The school carries a focused identity implied by its name, centering on medical science and technology as an academic pathway, though detailed program offerings were not available in the data we reviewed, so a family interested in the specific curriculum, clinical partnerships, or dual-enrollment opportunities would want to reach out to the school directly.
The student body is mid-sized for a four-year high school. The large majority of students are Hispanic, reflecting the demographics of Homestead and southern Miami-Dade broadly. Black and white students each represent smaller shares, with a small Asian enrollment and almost no other groups. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a meaningful low-income population, though the school's specialized focus tends to attract families across a range of economic backgrounds. Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education programs were not reported in the sources we used, so those dimensions of the student population are unclear.
State assessment results and a graduation rate were not available for this school in the data provided. That absence does not tell us whether performance is strong or weak; it likely reflects how Florida reports outcomes for specialized or themed academies within larger district structures, or a data-availability gap at the time of this profile. A parent who wants academic performance figures should ask the school for its Florida School Grades report and any published SAT, AP, or industry-certification data, which the state separately tracks for schools of this type.
The comparison data relative to districts in Miami-Dade County could not be applied here either, because the school-level proficiency index, chronic absenteeism rate, and graduation rate were each absent from the reported figures. That leaves this profile thin on the quantitative academic side, which is worth naming plainly.
On the housing side, the Homestead zip code where the school sits carries home values meaningfully above the Florida state median, though prices have edged down slightly year over year. Monthly ownership costs are substantial relative to typical incomes, and rent-to-income ratios in the area run high. Homestead is actively growing, with new master-planned communities pushing outward from the historic core, and builders remain active. Families relocating to the area should expect a car-dependent lifestyle outside the small historic downtown, with bus access provided through Miami-Dade Metrobus and the South Dade TransitWay, which runs a bus rapid transit corridor connecting Homestead north toward Dadeland.
A few Miami-Dade district-level developments are relevant for any family considering this school. Voters approved a property tax increase to fund teacher pay and campus security staffing, and that higher rate runs through 2027. The district is also navigating sustained enrollment decline, which publicly reported information indicates has prompted proposals to close or consolidate multiple schools across the county's three regions, with reconfigured grade structures possible. M.A.S.T. at Homestead's status within that process was not specified in what we reviewed, so a family considering enrollment should ask directly whether any boundary or configuration changes are anticipated for this school or its feeder pattern. A state cell phone policy covering the full school day is also moving toward implementation across Florida by the end of next year.
For a student drawn to a health-science or biomedical academic focus, M.A.S.T. at Homestead is a purposefully themed environment in a fast-changing corner of Miami-Dade. The gaps in performance data mean a parent should do additional legwork with the school before drawing conclusions about academic outcomes.
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