Public high schools in Miami-Dade County and in the Miami Lakes area are among the best in the country and Florida, according to a survey by U.S. News & World Report.
Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy was named the ninth best high school in Florida and ranked 87th in the United States, the publication said.
“This recognition by U.S. News & World Report is simply amazing,” said Principal Jose Enriquez, Jr.
The school is at 5701 W. 24th Ave. in Hialeah.
“It shows the hard work of our students, parents, teachers and administrative team,” Enriquez said. “We are a small school with extraordinary students who have extremely high goals,” he said.
Perla Tabares Hantman, the chair of Miami-Dade County Public Schools board, was proud to learn of the tribute to Jose Marti, which is in her district.
“Congratulations to Principal Jose Enriquez, Jr. and all the teachers, staff, students and families of Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy for their hard work and dedication,” Tabares Hantman said.
“I am honored that a school in our community has been named the 9th best high school in Florida,” she said.
Also recognized, for the second year in a row and ranked first in Florida and fifth in the nation, was the School for Advanced Studies.
The high school has five locations on the campuses of Miami Dade College but is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system.
Its motto: “We are SAS, The Dream Factory.”
“We ensure our students are receiving a rigorous curriculum, which I think has to do with a shared value at our school for excellence of teaching,” said Dr. Omar Monteagudo, principal for all five schools.
“Everyone adheres
to the core values in our school, especially the commitment to excel,” Monteagudo said. “Part of our success is our students helping each other. We work hard and we’re very proud of what we do.
“This is a celebration of everyone, our students and parents too,” he said.
The 2021 list of the Best High Schools in America was based on a review of nearly 24,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the publication said.
Miami-Dade’s schools led the state with 92 traditional and magnet schools on the list, according to the school district.
To see how other schools were ranked, go to https://www.usnews. com/education/best-high- schools/national-rankings.