Miami Palmetto Senior High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miami Palmetto Senior High School |
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| Address | |
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7431 SW 120th Street
, 33156
United States
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| Coordinates | 25°39′45″N 80°18′57″W / 25.66250°N 80.31583°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Motto | Latin: Vis Per Scientiam (Strength through knowledge) |
| Established | September 1958 |
| School district | Miami-Dade County Public Schools |
| Principal | Victoria Dobbs |
| Teaching staff | 104.00 (FTE) (2023–2024) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 2,672 (2023–2024) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 25.69 (2023-2024) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Columbia Blue White |
| Song | Neath Palmetto High! |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Newspaper | The Panther |
| Yearbook | Palm Echo |
| School hours | 7:20–2:20 |
 The front gate of the school as of April 13, 2022 |
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Miami Palmetto Senior High School is a public high school in Pinecrest, Florida. It is located on 23 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district. Miami Palmetto has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The principal is Victoria Dobbs.
The school serves students from Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and parts of Kendall, West Perrine, and Palmetto Estates.
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History of Miami Palmetto High School
Miami Palmetto High School was built in 1958. The construction cost was about $1.65 million. The school was designed to welcome around 1,500 students.
The school serves a diverse group of students from different backgrounds. Miami Palmetto is the local high school for families in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, West Perrine, and Palmetto Estates.
The local governments of Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay strongly support the school. They provide money and other help. For example, Pinecrest gives $10,000 to the school every year. In 2015, Palmetto Bay held a 5K Color Run to raise money for the school. The school's parent-teacher-student association (PTSA) also helps a lot with funding and volunteers.
For many years, Palmetto was a three-year high school. After an addition in 1997, it became a four-year high school. Miami Palmetto also participates in a special program called AP Capstone.
In 2017, Miami-Dade Public Schools started a big renovation project for the school. This project was planned in three phases and cost about $44 million. The remodel included building 120,900 square feet of new space. This new space has administrative offices, student services, and vocational labs. These labs are for subjects like Web Design, drafting, health science, and business technology.
The renovation also added a new art wing, a photo studio, gymnastics space, a dance room, and a music room. There is also a new black box theater. A new cafeteria building with indoor and outdoor dining areas was built next to a central courtyard. The first phase of this new building was finished and opened in January 2020.
School Programs and Achievements
Academics and Learning Opportunities
Miami Palmetto offers many challenging courses. Students can choose from 28 Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Students at Palmetto have the highest success rate on AP exams in Miami-Dade County. In 2015, their AP Chemistry exam pass rate was the best in Florida.
More than half of the students take at least one AP class. Also, over 50% of students have a GPA higher than 4.0. Graduates from Miami Palmetto are accepted into many top colleges and universities across the country. Students at Miami Palmetto score higher on state and national tests compared to other public schools in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Palmetto is a neighborhood school, meaning it welcomes all students in its area. The school's Special Olympics athletes win awards at state competitions every year. In 2001, Newsweek magazine ranked Miami Palmetto as 251st among the top U.S. schools. In 2007, it was ranked 72nd in the nation. These rankings are based on things like:
- How many students graduate on time (91%)
- How many graduates go straight to college (95%)
- Scores on different tests (45%)
- The number of AP/IB/AICE courses offered per graduate (5%)
Miami Palmetto Media
Miami Palmetto has four student-run publications:
- The school newspaper, called The Panther.
- The morning announcements and television production, called Panther TVP.
- The yearbook, called Palm Echo.
- The sports media, called Panther Sports Network.
Athletics and Sports Teams
Miami Palmetto High School has achieved success in various sports, especially sailing.
Sailing Championships
- International Championships:
- Coed sailing – British Schools Dinghy Racing Association Team Racing Champion (by invitation) – 1994
- National Championships:
- Coed sailing – National High School Dinghy Championship (Mallory Trophy) – champion 1994; runner-up 1997
- Coed sailing – national high school team racing champion (Baker Trophy) – 1994
- Single-handed sailing – national interscholastic sailing association champion (Cressy Trophy) – 1989
Famous People Who Attended Palmetto
Many notable people have attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. Here are a few:
- Jeff Bezos – founder of Amazon.com
- Ketanji Brown Jackson – U.S. Supreme Court associate justice
- Camila Cabello – Grammy-nominated singer
- Erik Compton – professional golfer
- Derek Connolly – screenwriter of Safety Not Guaranteed and Jurassic World
- Nikki Fried – politician, former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
- Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie – astronaut
- Tim Hardaway Jr. – basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks
- Sylvia Hitchcock – Miss USA and Miss Universe 1967
- Jonathan James – a teen hacker who gained attention for his computer skills
- Ron Magill – wildlife expert at Zoo Miami
- Vivek Murthy – Surgeon General of the United States
- Jennifer Rodriguez – speed skater, world champion and Olympic medalist
- Kimbo Slice – bareknuckle boxer and mixed martial artist
See also
