MATER PALMS ACADEMY

MATER PALMS ACADEMY, a reasonably sized K-5 school in HIALEAH GARDENS, Florida, part of OSCEOLA, educates 866 students, covering grades K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 604 students per school, that is 43% larger than typical.

MATER PALMS ACADEMY is one of 83 schools operated by OSCEOLA, a district that educates 75,388 students overall.

Demographically, MATER PALMS ACADEMY reports that 71% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest is composed of 19% White, 7% Black. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 56%.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 21.6:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.5:1, putting MATER PALMS ACADEMY higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 63% of students at MATER PALMS ACADEMY qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Osceola County runs at roughly 52%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, MATER PALMS ACADEMY sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 49.6%; this one delivers 55.7%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Osceola County put median household earnings sit near $72,637, roughly 30% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. MATER PALMS ACADEMY is one of 88 public schools in Osceola County (combined enrollment of about 74,164 students).

KNIGHTS POINT K-8 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around MATER PALMS ACADEMY. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), MATER PALMS ACADEMY ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 39.6%.

MATER PALMS ACADEMY operates from a metropolitan location. As a public charter, MATER PALMS ACADEMY runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count increased 245%: 251 students in 2018 compared to 866 in 2025. Class-load math has grew: from 16.7:1 in 2018 to 21.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.