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At the edge of Miami’s Overtown neighborhood — one of the city’s most economically challenged areas — there’s a school proving what’s possible when children are surrounded by love, respect and opportunity.
CARE Elementary School is a not-for-profit private Christian school that serves children at no cost to their families who live in households with an average annual income of $22,000.
Guided by the simple but powerful mantra “Love and Respect for All,” CARE provides a safe, nurturing, and academically rigorous environment where every child is known, valued, and expected to succeed.
At CARE, we embrace the multicultural richness of our community. Our students learn alongside individuals from diverse backgrounds, gaining understanding and acceptance of people of all ethnicities and walks of life. Beyond academics, CARE’s mission is to prepare confident, lifelong learners and responsible citizens who will carry those values into the wider world.
CARE Elementary is more than a good school, it’s a model for what can be accomplished in low-income neighborhoods when passionate educators are given the tools they need to succeed. Our results speak for themselves: when CARE opened in 2015, only 11 percent of our students were at grade level in reading. On the 2024-25 nationally norm referenced TerraNova standardized test, 92 percent of all students scored at or above grade level in Reading, 93 percent in Language Arts, 94 percent in Math and 92 percent in Science.
These outcomes are especially striking when compared with statewide averages. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 33 percent of Florida’s fourth graders are proficient in reading. Among low-income students, that number drops to 30 percent, compared to 58 percent for their higher-income peers, a 28-point gap that reflects systemic inequities in quality educational access. For Blacks that number in Florida is 20 percent, leaving 8 out of 10 Black fourth graders tested without the foundational ability to read.
The challenge isn’t talent or potential; it’s resources. Florida ranks near the bottom, 47th, nationally in education spending. As of the 2024-25 school year, according to the Education Data Initiative, the average per-student spending for K–12 education in Florida was $12,145 per student, placing Florida among the lowest-spending states. The top ten states for education, by contrast, spend an average of $22,973 per student.
At CARE, we spend approximately $15,000 per student, but receive an average of only $8,300 per student from state choice scholarship funding. The remaining costs are covered through generous support from private foundations, local businesses, and individual donors who share our belief that every child deserves a quality education, regardless of zip code or income level.
The success at CARE shows what can happen when schools in underserved areas are adequately supported academically, emotionally, and financially. It’s a blueprint that should be replicated in Miami and across Florida.
If we want to close the achievement gap, break cycles of poverty, and prepare the next generation for meaningful, productive lives, we must look to fund schools. The model at CARE Elementary is working.
We invite community members, educators, and policymakers to visit CARE Elementary and see firsthand the transformative power of education rooted in love, respect, and opportunity. The future of Florida’s children depends on our willingness to invest in them.
For more information or to arrange a tour, mail CARE@CAREelementary.org.
Marty Steinberger is President, CARE Elementary School.
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