Miami-Dade County Public Schools earned 160 Schools of Excellence designations for the 2025-26 school year, the most of any district in Florida.

The district's 160 campuses account for 21% of all Schools of Excellence statewide, according to a district announcement. Among large urban districts, Miami-Dade (M-DCPS) more than doubled the next-highest total. Broward County Public Schools earned 76 designations.

Both Aventura City of Excellence School and Don Soffer Aventura Charter High School appear on the Florida Department of Education’s 2025-26 Schools of Excellence lists, in the combination-school and high-school categories, respectively.

Both schools carry strong academic profiles heading into the designation cycle. ACES, a K-8 charter, ranks in the top 5% of all Florida schools for combined math and reading proficiency, according to Public School Review. The school serves 1,032 students, with 88% proficient in math and 81% in reading — each well above the state average of 52%.

Don Soffer Aventura High School is ranked 47th in Florida and No. 626 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The school reports a 100% graduation rate and a 94% Advanced Placement exam participation rate among its senior class. Principal Geoff McKee, Ph.D., leads the 820-student campus.

The City of Aventura lists both ACES and DSAHS as A-plus-rated charter schools on its schools page.

What qualifies a School of Excellence

Under Section 1003.631 of Florida law, a school earns the designation when its percentage of possible points in the state's school grade formula ranks at or above the 80th percentile among schools with similar grade configurations for at least two of the last three school years. The Florida State Board of Education reviewed the designations at its Oct. 14 meeting.

What's next for Aventura families

Don Soffer Aventura High School opens enrollment for the 2027-28 school year on Nov. 3. The open enrollment window runs through Dec. 4, and the school accepts applications for all grade levels during that period. Applicants who submit on the first or last day have an equal chance of admission, according to the school's enrollment page.

Families seeking the full list of M-DCPS Schools of Excellence can check the district's website or the Florida Department of Education's designation documents.