Mater Academy

Last updated
Mater Academy Inc.
FormationJanuary 1998;27 years ago (1998-01) [1]
FounderFernando Zulueta
Founded at Little Havana
Type charter management organization
65-0857507 [2]
Headquarters Miami, Florida
Membership14,780 students [2] (2020)
President
Roberto C Blanch [3]
Chairman, Florida
Cesar Christian Crousillat [4]
Chairman, Nevada
Ricardo Jasso [4]
Chairman, Northern Nevada
Luke Welmerink [5]
Main organ
Board of Directors
Revenue$175,187,261 [2] [4] [5] [3] (2020)
Expenses$173,433,608 [2] [4] [5] [3] (2020)
Staff2,688 [2] [4] [5] [3] (2020)
Volunteers3,059 [2] [4] [5] [3] (2020)
Website www.materacademy.org

Mater Academy is a non-profit charter management organization based in Florida. They have a network of 49 schools in Florida and Nevada. Mater partners with Academica, a for-profit education management organization. [6] In 2025 the company filed paperwork to establish schools in Sarasota, Florida. [7]

Contents

Origins

In 1968, the Sacred Heart Sister Mother Margarita Miranda-Otero began Centro Mater as a childcare facility in Little Havana, a poor immigrant neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Translated from Latin, it means "Mother Center". It was successful and flourished. [8]

As a teenager, Fernando Zulueta volunteered at Centro Mater. [9] In 1996, the Florida Legislature authorized charter schools as part of the state's K-12 public education system. One year after starting the Somerset Academy in Miramar, Florida, and inspired by his experience at Centro Mater, Zulueta founded the nonprofit Mater Academy. The following year, Zulueta incorporated the for-profit education school management company Academica.

Mater Academy spread across Hialeah, Florida. There were 14 Mater Academy schools in 2010, with over 6,300 students. Enrollment increased to 13,380 in 2015. [9]

Operations

There were twenty-three employees of Mater Academy Inc making six figure salaries in 2020. [2] [4] [5] [3]

Awards & Rankings

Mater Academy Charter High School in Hialeah Gardens, Florida won a silver medal award from U.S. News & World Report in 2008 and 2009. [10] They were also ranked the 41st best high school in Florida for 2021. [11]

Mater Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy in Hialeah Gardens, Florida was ranked the 31st best high school in Florida for 2021. [12]

Mater Academy East Charter High School in Miami was ranked the 32nd best high school in Florida for 2021. [13]

Mater Academy Lakes High School in Hialeah Gardens, Florida was ranked the 62nd best high school in Florida for 2021. [14]

Sports Leadership of Miami Charter High School in Little Havana (formerly Sports Leadership and Management/SLAM) was ranked the 486th best high school in Florida for 2021. [15] [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Mater Academy Inc. Form 990 2015". ProPublica. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Mater Academy Inc form 990". Non-profit Explorer. ProPublica. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MATER ACADEMY CENTRAL INC form 990". ProPublica Projects. ProPublica. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "MATER ACADEMY OF NEVADA form 990". ProPublica Projects. ProPublica. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MATER ACADEMY OF NORTHERN NEVADA form 990". ProPublica Projects. ProPublica. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Mater Academy Schools". Archive.today. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  7. ↑ https://www.mysuncoast.com/2025/10/08/hostile-takeover-charter-operator-files-occupy-three-sarasota-schools/#
  8. ↑ "Street naming ceremony to honor Sister Margarita Miranda-Otero | Biscayne Bay Tribune#". 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
  9. 1 2 "Our History". Mater Academies. Mater Academy. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Two Predominantly Hispanic Charter Schools Named Among 'America's Best High Schools' by U.S. News and | Education | Hispanic PR Wire - the Premier News Distribution Service Reaching U.S. Hispanic Media and Opinion Leaders". Archived from the original on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  11. ↑ "Overview of Mater Academy Charter High". US News.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Overview of Mater Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy". USNews.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "Overview of Mater Academy East Charter High School". US News.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Overview of Mater Academy Lakes High School". US News.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "Overview of Sports Leadership of Miami Charter High School". US News.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Benson, John (August 22, 2013). "Pitbull Opens SLAM Charter School To Make Education 'Sexy' Again". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
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