The Charter School At Waterstone in Homestead

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	9/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education, and using 2025 Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education.
Student Growth	7/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Florida Department of Education.

Posted: March 14, 2025

I recommend that the school revises the lunch options. From the perspective of a picky -eater, the pizza served on Fridays is not very enjoyable.

Posted: March 14, 2025

Posted: March 11, 2025

The school is great all the teachers are great and the staff

Posted: March 11, 2025

My daughter is since the first year, they have helped her in her growth and every year she meets better expectations, they are organized and the teachers are excellent. They motivate students and it is of admiration. It would be excellent if they would also work with high school

Posted: March 11, 2025

I am writing to express my gratitude for the opportunity to work as a teacher at Waterstone. Over the course of my time here, I have had the privilege of working in an environment that fosters growth, creativity, and excellence, both for students and for educators.
Waterstones commitment to nurturing a dynamic and inclusive learning atmosphere has been truly inspiring. The collaborative spirit among colleagues and the support Ive received from the leadership team has been integral to my personal and professional development. It is evident that the school places a strong emphasis on continuous improvement, not only for students but for educators as well.
The students at Waterstone are a constant source of motivation. Their enthusiasm for learning, combined with the resources and innovative teaching strategies we are encouraged to use, has made my experience both rewarding and fulfilling. The open communication and constructive feedback from my peers have further enhanced my teaching methods, allowing me to adapt and grow in my role.
The overall culture of support, growth, and mutual respect makes Waterstone an outstanding place to work, and I am proud to be a part of this incredible educational community.

Posted: March 11, 2025

I can honestly say that its an incredible place to work. The school fosters a collaborative and supportive atmosphere for both students and staff. From the moment I joined, I felt welcomed by a dedicated team of educators and administrators who genuinely care about both the personal and professional growth of their teachers.

The leadership team is forward-thinking and always strives to implement the best practices for teaching and learning. They are receptive to feedback, open to new ideas, and encourage teachers to grow through professional development opportunities. This has created a culture where innovation is encouraged, and I feel equipped to bring my best to the classroom each day.

I am proud to be part of this school. Its a place where both teachers and students are valued, and theres a genuine commitment to continuous improvement.

Posted: March 11, 2025

Posted: March 10, 2025

Great family oriented school . We love everything!

Posted: March 10, 2025

The school is overall a very welcoming environment and great place for students to learn and progress academically. The classroom setting is engaging and high performing with the curriculum for each grade level.

Posted: March 10, 2025

Sending my daughter to CSW was the best decision I made in 2024.

Posted: March 10, 2025

Our experience at charter school at waterstone has been awesome. We've been here from kinder through 5th and my youngest attends now as well. The teachers are awesome and both my kids have had awesome experiences.

Posted: March 10, 2025

Posted: August 19, 2023

Las instalaciones de la escuela está en buenas condiciones.
Las maestras siempre a están en comunicación con los padres.
Las actividades van de acuerdo al nivel escolar.
Siempre hay actividades las cuales permite a los niños socializar y ser más cercanos al sistema educativo de la misma.

Posted: August 19, 2023

Posted: February 9, 2022

Im only giving 2 stars because I havent had an issue with the teachers.
The administration is terrible.
Whether or not you arrive to school on time, you will be late due to how they allow you to enter the school. There are a lot of days where around 30+ students are tardy but the school expects you to drop your child off 30-45 min early to avoid this which isnt possible for most, clearly.
Also, if you have an issue with anything, the office will not take responsibility for it. They wouldnt release my child to me when I needed early pick up and I called ahead of time.
My daughter has been on honor roll all year and her teacher always tells me how amazing she is and the office felt it necessary to interrogate my child without my knowledge or me present about traumatic experiences she went through that happened a couple years ago, not while present at this school. They also questioned her about my income and about her father whom we have a restraining order against.
Ive asked other schools what they thought about this and they agreed it was extremely inappropriate.
Then when confronted, they ignored me.
There are 2 campus officers that also treat you like your a criminal. They are extremely rude for no reason. My dad is a Lieutenant so I know their behavior in my experience is uncalled for.
This was our first and last year here.

Posted: February 9, 2022

Posted: December 10, 2018

I am greatly disappointed with my child's 4th grade teachers. There is no communication with the parents, no newsletters to inform us of what the kids are working on in class and dont you dare suggest they do. You will be met with hostility and the "we are preparing them for middle school" excuse. Me, as a parent, wanting to be involved and informed of what my child is doing in class has nothing to do with preparing my child for middle school and teaching self responsibility. They are just lazy. If my child is struggling in a subject, not only should they be offering additional help, they should be reaching out to me to form a game plan of what we can do at home. I never get memos unless they are asking for money. I had no idea about the FSA tutoring until the day AFTER the deadline for sign ups and payment. The teachers also do not send graded papers home. This school is just awful and I do not recommend it unless you are desperately trying to avoid public school. Even then, you will be better off homeschooling.

Posted: December 10, 2018

I cannot speak for other teachers as this is my child's first year attending this school. Her 4th grade ELA and Homeroom teachers can do better. The communication between parent and educator is non-existent. When I reached out to both of them out of concern for my daughter's grades, I was met with snobby attitudes via email. They seemed nice in person but the email that was returned to me was filled with attitude.

Posted: December 10, 2018

The principle for my child's grade level is very self absorbed and doesn't truly care about the students or parent's concerns.

Posted: December 10, 2018

My child has been struggling in math and her teacher hasn't even bothered to reach out to me regarding how we can supplement math help at home. Getting the parents involved is absolutely part of supporting children with learning differences and difficulties.

Posted: December 10, 2018

My child has also been getting bullied at school by a particular child. This child has been bullying multiple children while teachers and administration do nothing about her.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Teachers are very overwhelmed with class size. I've asked a teacher to communicate with me through my son's agenda regarding a missing project and her response was "I don't have time to write in an agenda for every missing project". I'm sorry, but that is part of the teachers responsibilities to communicate with parents when there is an issue. Tried to schedule a meeting with the teachers, got rescheduled for nearly 3 weeks.

Posted: August 6, 2018

My kids went to Waterstone for 2 years. My experience was awful! My kids never made any friends. I never met a single other parent, and I never even met my son's 1st grade teacher since I missed meet and greet night due to work. There are not enough opportunities for the parents to be interactive with the classroom. Drop your kid off, don't get out of your car, don't even dare drop off cupcakes for a birthday...its awful. The principal is a joke, very rude. My 8 year old son forgot his lunch box because his arms were full of projects and folders in the morning. Tried dropping it off to him at 10am and I was turned away and told he could not have his food. I was told he could have a free lunch of a bologna sandwich and a milk (he is lactose intolerant and wont eat a bologna sandwich). I understand not allowing parents to drop off missing homework to teach responsibility, but to deny the child food is awful!! He went all day without food on a day he had PE and after school basketball practice. Another time I needed to pick up my kids early so I got there at 3:05 and was told they wont release the kids until after 3pm. They made me stand there and wait for them for 30 minutes causing me to miss their scheduled doctors appointment and work engagement I had. The principal is extremely rude and they hold your kids all day like prisoners. For the most part their teachers they had were very nice. It's not their fault the school doesn't promote parents to interact with their classrooms, they all seem very overwhelmed with classroom size. If your child needs any 1 on 1 help or attention I would not recommend this school, and be prepared to deal with the very rude administration.

Posted: August 6, 2017

My children and I love Waterstone. I have three children and they have all attended Waterstone. My children have always had great, caring teachers and the administration is very welcoming. The school itself is always clean and organized. The coursework and academics is what you would expect from a charter school. My children have also made awesome friends and I am glad they are performing at a higher academic level than is expected at their age. The traffic is bad, but just wake up earlier and get to school before it starts. Now, like other parents have said, the school does have a strict behavior policy for the students. However, I agree with this policy because it holds students accountable for their actions and sets high expectations. My children have not felt like the discipline at Waterstone is unfair or too harsh. If a school has a behavior policy in place that is too much for you or your child, you should consider changing them to another school. There are a lot of public schools in the area that do not have strict behavior policies or make misbehaving students withdraw.

Posted: February 1, 2017

My daughter started Kindergarten this year and within two weeks was promoted to the Discovery class where she can learn at a faster pace. The teachers are involved and answer my emails and questions within 24 hours.

As for the parking and drop off it is very difficult but if you are patient and get to school early you should not have problems. They also offer bus service which will ensure your child will be on time.

I 100% recommend Waterstone.

Posted: February 1, 2017

Posted: July 23, 2016

AN INCREDIBLE SCHOOL! Administration and teachers work together to make sure the child is being education in a way that suits them. Teachers are incredibly creative, give extra time (more than any other school) to students, and IT IS FREE! No one ever takes the time to write the good stuff.

Posted: July 23, 2016

The teachers are what makes this school so effective. Team up with the teachers to ensure your child will succeed.

Posted: July 23, 2016

Posted: February 28, 2016

Mi hija esta en está escuela hace tres año y este ha sido un año horrible,ella tenia dos maestra pues el aula es de 36 estudiante una se cambio hacia otro grado,llevan mas de 4 meses con maestras sustituta y ahora la que tenían que comenzó con ellos desde el primer día de clase la sacaron de la escuela y era una maestra increible como hay pocas amaba su profesión y muy especial con los niños ahora los niños estan como una barco a la deriva cuando falta menos de un mes para el fsa,y tres meses para que la escuela terminé,me parece que la escuela cometió un gran error porque los únicos afectados van a ser los alumnos que van a tener que adaptarse a todo lo nuevo que viene,en dios tengo fe que esta situación no afecte tanto a mi hija pues ella adoraba a su maestra y espero que la escuela deje de cometer tantos errores como hace.

Posted: February 27, 2016

Posted: July 16, 2015

My son loves Waterstone. He's in the discovery program, and is learning on a 3rd grade level although hes in 2nd. He like any other child, would prefer to be playing games at recess then learning. he's not crazy about his teachers but they send me emails directly when something is not right, or if he is misbehaving, etc. What more do you want from a teacher? he has good grades because they do these things. Take them to any of these public schools here in Homestead, and see what happens when your child decides they rather talk then finish their work. You wont get an email, believe me my oldest went to public school and its public school. Just the same my kids class has a lot of students, so they have 2 teachers. I have to take some time and read at home, and do work with him. When he is having trouble i need to help him at home. that is the same with any public school so parents that think this school should be their teacher and parent too, are in for a rude awakening. Wake up people. There is no school anywhere like when you were in school. Stop being lazy parent and help your child succeed

Posted: July 16, 2015

Posted: May 27, 2015

I took my child out of a different charter school in Homestead and put them in Waterstone. People complaining about dropoff and pickup? Get there before the bell rings and there are no problems. Parents are lazy. How about the teachers, the programs, the extra curricular activities?? I hear no complaints about these things because they are great and the kids enjoy it. I'd rather hear lazy people complain about having to wait a long time to pick up their kids, than to hear educated people complain about their children not being taught well, not having an outlet for creativity, and not being able to excel in school. Good luck finding something better in Homestead!

Posted: May 29, 2014

My daughter has been at Waterstone for about 4 year's already. She started off great but once she hit 3rd grade I saw a drastic change in her grades in her self esteem. She hated going to school. I don't see that the teacher's really help the kids at the child's current level. Know she is in 4th grade and at risk of Failing because she not getting the attention she needs in school. She is always worried of failing. I do see her Math teacher has gone above and beyond to really help her. I'm so greatfull for her! But her reading teacher I don't feeling like she is really helping my child. I hope and pray my child starts to love school again. Teachers need to really give these kids come confidence and guidance. I know the potential my child has and I don't see it in her gradess. I will be withdrawing my child this year. Super disappointed!!

Posted: April 19, 2014

My son has attended this school for 2 years. He is currently in third grade. His teachers throughout the years have been wonderful, caring, and extremely professional. My son enjoys all the special area classes and extra curricular activities as well. His teachers are very quick to respond to my emails and notes that I write in his agenda. Anytime I have requested a conference with them they schedule me in promptly. I also feel that they have prepared him for the FCAT very well. His teachers have taught higher grade levels previously and they use good critical thinking skills with the classwork that I have seen. I feel that my son will be entering 4th grade well prepared. His teachers also work well. My son tells me that they help him when he has a hard time understanding something. I am glad he feels comfortable and happy. The traffic is an issue at times but the school is doing the best they can. I really believe that is a non-issue. The teachers are outside with smiles on their faces in the hot weather. It breaks my heart. It annoys me that parents complain about that. I have no complaints about the school. I recommend it to anyone moving to Homestead.

Posted: April 11, 2014

Check out this school on Facebook. You will be able to see for yourself how amazing this school is!

Posted: April 11, 2014

Terrible school only about how to make them selves look good but unless you have been in the school no one knows how terrible it is. Administration is the worse and the principal is only about her self. As far as parents not being involved as the one said I am on the board of the PTA and I can still say this school is not up to standards and always looking for a handout. You know the school has a bug problem when your son says he is the bug killer this week. So sad a lot if potential but need to remove most of the administration. I feel this school will be a B school in no time just as it scored last year lucky for then they get a one yr grace period. No communication with parents as u can not walk past the desk and the only was to talk to teachers is by email when they do respond. Not able to do lunch with your child so sad the keep the parents out but want the money from us.

Posted: March 23, 2014

As a 5th year teacher in this school, I am appalled by how inaccurate some of these reviews are. Yes, traffic is pretty terrible, but this can happen in any school. Does any other school provide FREE sibling care so that parents of children with more the one dismissal do not have to return multiple times for pick up nor pay for aftercare? Let's be a little more appreciative of these teachers who stay and watch your child after school hours as a courtesy to you. As far as the "bug" situation in the bathroom, please note that all the bathrooms are directly next to two doors leading to the outside world, where bugs roam free, as they should. If these little critters happen to sneak into the building, there's really not much we can do. Also, it is Homestead. We can all agree that there are bugs everywhere! Just to clarify something that might be a little confusing, as with any other public school, unfortunately teachers are not provided with all the materials necessary for a functioning classroom, unless paid for out of pocket. One of the things I love most about working in this school is the constant communication and cooperation between me and my parents. It's a blessing.

Posted: August 21, 2013

I cannot tell much about the school since this is the first year my child is going. But I am concerned about the dropping off and picking up students procedures. It is very dangerous for all. I hope they find a way to fix it.

Posted: August 21, 2013

I have heard only the best things about this school and my two little girls are on the waiting list and can't wait to attend hopefully next years strongly recommend water stone charter school. 5****

Posted: August 20, 2013

I want to say that the school is ok but the traffic is terrible gets. You guys need to improve in the traffic flowing faster.Also you guys need to work quickly in resolving in building the port because all the children not just mine pass a lot of hot weather waiting for us the parents to arrive to the front just to get them.And the other thing you need to work at is getting Mrs. Lopez back in the front office. was very upset when I went to the office and I did not see Mrs. Lopez. I have to say she is a wonderful person very caring always helps everybody. She has always been very polite never rude my oldest daughter a former student loves her and my two daughters love her so much they want to call her tia. I really hope that I get to see Mrs Lopez in the office again she is missed greatly there.We love Mrs. Lopez very much and hope you take into consideration the parents reviews thank you very much.

Posted: August 19, 2013

I hated this school! In fact, we took an early transfer to withdraw our children. Both of my kids lost an entire year of education and regressed tremendously in academics and behaviors. My daughter's confidence level went down the toilet. She became stressed, depressed and felt dumb with the belittling from the staff. Teachers do not work with parents or kids at all! They are rude, rude, RUDE! Class sizes are outrageous (at 40!) and use of staff time is wasted as I've found them sitting doing NOTHING as the co-teacher instructs. Absolutely no logic to how anything runs or is organized. By far the most stressful year of my life. I do not recommend any aspect of this disfunctional school. The A needs to be removed promptly from the front of the building.

Posted: August 6, 2013

too strict,greedy school,always asking for paents to buy something,parents basically buy all of teachers products like they dont get any funding,all the teachers are young,straight out of college and dont know how to deal with kids so any little thing a child does is wrote up and suspensions until they make you withdraw your kid,indoor suspensions for lateness caused by the school horrile traffic situations when the kid could be in class,too much rules,too strict,military runned,very stressful for parents,they dont serve breakfast even though your child qualifies for free and reduced lunch program.happy to have left that school.good reputation though,clean,small,A school,minimal sports

Posted: July 10, 2013

Run like a corporation. They have so many positions for a school that only goes to 5th grade. Positions Registar, Administration assistance, ,Principal , Assist. Principal for K-2, Principal and Assist Principal for 3-5, Dean, and Before and After Care Director. and you still have to make an appointment to speak to them. Good luck in trying to drop off your child in front of the school instead of the parking lot or and street corner. if you are in the drop off lane and by the time u make it to the front of school and its past 830am your child is late. You try to explain the line was long to the office or the principal, the reply you will get is YOUR LATE. The funny thing was that the next day the principal was outside directing traffic but u still late if you n your child are stuck in the drop off line waiting to get into the school. It seems I was not the only 1 complaining about the traffic issue. It ridiculous both pick up and drop off. The only parent involvement the schools seems to care most about is when raising money.

Posted: June 15, 2013

Has the worst front office staff in the world. Pure attitude all day everyday. They also have no patience of special needs kids. They would rather suspend a child repeatedly forcing a parent to withdraw. They care more about the grade the school receives then the children that attend.

Posted: May 26, 2013

Waterstone is a good academic charter school with great math and science courses. My granddaughter loves Waterstone.

Posted: May 7, 2013

I'm a parent of a 5th grader. My child has been attending since Kinder. Year by year things change but to better things. My child is more happy coming home. The curriculum is fantastic. The fundraising and actives they have can't compare to what other copy schools do. My daughter is enthusiastic about going to school learning. To those parents that point fingers about everything , I wonder if you hold your children accountable for the things they do, learn & speak. A reminder that children are from what they learn at home. Start being proactive and learn parenting tips from all those good parents & stop pointing fingers. Staff is great , very friendly & enthusiastic every morning & that's what my daughter has learn for five straight year. She's an honor roll student with a great attitude not socially challenge. I'm an evolve parents thru out the year & I don't sit behind a computer and type away things that are out of an anger action or out spite. Do things that change the world & get evolve maybe that will make all those angry parents. Make a difference so your child is a child that can make the difference in the future. Stop being angry & grow a brain.

Posted: May 6, 2013

I use to like this school, but now to speak to the Principal or the Assistant principasl they make you fill out a paper and they call you with an appoinment, seat and wait!!! Before they would take you in an listen to your concerns. The quality of service has gone down the drain!! You call to speak to the registrar about attendance or email her she never returns the calls or answer the emailsl. I left her a paper that was sent to me about my child's unexcused absences and never heard from her. I went to the teacher and the teacher sent me to the office and the front desk lady was very nice and told me to leave the registrar a note and that she would get back to me and I am still waiting!!! I don't know what is going on but Waterstone is the same Waterstone of years back. What happen? This year is not that great :(

Posted: April 30, 2013

This School Is amazing!! Office staff and teachers are spectacular. Now the only dislike that I have is that the registrar is rude and not willing to answer simple, nicely asked questions. This person should not be dealing with parents who are only concerned for their children. The parking is ridiculous but manageable. Yes they do ask for money all the time, but I in particular look at it as investing in your child's education and experience at school.

Posted: October 26, 2012

Academically good; however we will see after this year's test scores. After becoming k-5, the school increased classes and hired more teachers; however most of these teachers are fresh out of college with little experience. Not enough money for quality teachers? Also, the am drop off and pm pick up situation is a BIG MESS. The school kept changing the pick-up location and times constantly for the first month or so of school. Parents just didn t know how and when the kids were dismissed. Very chaotic, especially for siblings. PE facilities are almost none existing. No indoor gym and the kids have to play in a rough asphalt court in the in the south Florida heat. . Not only a terrible situation but also very dangerous. Injuries, dehydration, heat exhaustion you name it. Don t get me wrong, academics are important, but there is too much emphasis on school work, and kids need more than academics to be well-rounded. Children also need sports and other activities; otherwise they become overwhelmed with work and apathetic. The school s infrastructure speaks for itself. Plenty of pace for classes but not for sports.

Posted: June 5, 2012

The school is one of the best in the area I must say but the office personnel needs to treat parents with more respect. Also they go overboard with what a child might say it is ridiculous I have seen suspensions an detentions for the stupidest reasons, they are too strict on certain aspects. Be aware they ask for donations all the time and fees like 25.00 lab fee for a 9 yr old student that's ridiculous.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	No neighborhood name	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Homestead	FL	6.3 mi
2	Doral Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Doral	FL	23.4 mi
3	Weston	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Weston	FL	42.5 mi

Base	Distance
Homestead Air Base	1.5 mi.
US Southern Command	23.1 mi.
Miami Coast Guard	26.4 mi.
Coast Guard Opa Locka	30.8 mi.

The Charter School At Waterstone

Homestead, FL 33033

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The Charter School At Waterstone

Homestead, FL 33033

School Ratings

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