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What's the most underrated thing about FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,935
High
DISTRICT 859 · STATE 1,035
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MIAMI-DADE·NCES 120039004340
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
15255 SW 96TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33196 · (305) 752-7900 · Miami-Dade County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,935 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
24.2:1
80 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 27.6:1 · STATE 23.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
784 students
DISTRICT 50% · STATE 50%
Community
3
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on published attendance-zone data from MIAMI-DADE. Zones change; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
48.5%
FL avg 56.7% . +3.3pp since 2023
Math
51.0%
FL avg 58.9% . +21.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 48 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 51 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 21 points.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
50.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
60.9%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-10.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 61% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,935
-660 (-25%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
24.2:1
was 23.2:1
% White
4%
was 6%
% Hispanic
92%
was 89%
% Black
3%
was 3%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is one of the expansive 9-12 campuss in MIAMI, Florida, overseen by MIAMI-DADE, with 1,935 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 1,035 students per school, that is 87% above typical.
Within MIAMI-DADE, which oversees 527 schools and 335,685 students, FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is one campus in the system.
On demographics, FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL reports that 92% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. Other groups include 4% White, 3% Black. By comparison, Miami-Dade County as a whole is about 69% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.
On the resource side, On paper, FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL has 80 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 24.2:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 41% of students at FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
With demographic context factored in, FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 60.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 50.0%.
Around the school, the surrounding county (Miami-Dade County) shows that median household income runs about $71,753, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is one of 561 public schools in Miami-Dade County (combined enrollment of about 335,817 students).
The closest other public school is HAMMOCKS MIDDLE SCHOOL, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL comes 9th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 67.3%.
Geographically, the school is in a residential area.
Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 25%: 2,595 students in 2018 compared to 1,935 in 2025. Class-load math has rose: from 23.2:1 in 2018 to 24.2:1 in 2025.
On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.
Miami-Dade County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
2,738,356
Census ACS
Median income
$71,753
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
561
335,817 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in MIAMI-DADE
- JOHN A. FERGUSON SENIOR HIGHHigh · 4,291 students
- CORAL REEF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,399 students
- SOUTH DADE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,382 students
- MIAMI SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,100 students
- HIALEAH GARDENS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,009 students
- BARBARA GOLEMAN SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,973 students
Other schools in MIAMI
- JOHN A. FERGUSON SENIOR HIGHHigh · 4,291 students
- CORAL REEF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,399 students
- MIAMI SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,100 students
- MIAMI PALMETTO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,618 students
- SOUTHWEST MIAMI SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,599 students
- G. HOLMES BRADDOCK SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,291 students
Nearby schools
- HAMMOCKS MIDDLE SCHOOL0.2 mi · 486
- OLIVER HOOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.5 mi · 617
- CLAUDE PEPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.8 mi · 417
- PINECREST ACADEMY (SOUTH CAMPUS)1.0 mi · 733
- CHRISTINA M. EVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.0 mi · 482
- DR. GILBERT L. PORTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.1 mi · 586
Frequently asked questions
About FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHow large is FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,935 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL serve?
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL serves grades 09-12.
How many teachers does FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL have?
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL employs 80 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 24.2:1.
How diverse is FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL reports a student body of 4% White, 92% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
What district is FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL in?
FELIX VARELA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is part of MIAMI-DADE.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.