Mater Academy Opens at SoLé Mia in North Miami Beach

• Mater Academy SoLé Mia has opened a new 90,000-square-foot K-5 public charter school at 2100 NE 139th Street in North Miami Beach.
• Nearly 200 students are starting the 2026-2027 school year, with the campus designed to accommodate up to 675 students.
• The tuition-free school is located within the 184-acre SoLé Mia master-planned community developed by LeFrak and Turnberry.
• SoLé Mia residents receive enrollment preference, while the school also expands educational options for families throughout North Miami Beach and surrounding communities.

What The New Mater Academy Campus Brings to SoLé Mia

Mater Academy SoLé Mia has opened its doors for the 2026-2027 school year, welcoming nearly 200 students to a new 90,000-square-foot campus inside the growing SoLé Mia community in North Miami Beach. The school is located at 2100 NE 139th Street and serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The opening fulfills a vision first announced in 2023 for a tuition-free public charter school serving the growing SoLé Mia community while expanding educational options for families throughout North Miami Beach and the surrounding area. Many of the first students have parents who live or work within SoLé Mia, and residents receive enrollment preference.

What The School Offers Students

The new campus was designed around modern learning environments, with updated classrooms, advanced instructional technology, collaborative learning areas and green space. The school has capacity for up to 675 students and follows Mater Academy's academic model focused on leadership development, character education and personalized learning. The campus also gives students access to opportunities beyond the classroom through partnerships with SoLé Mia, the nearby UHealth campus and businesses and organizations throughout the development. Those partnerships are expected to support real-world educational experiences, career exploration, wellness programs and community engagement. 

Principal Anabel Verez described the opening as more than the addition of a new school building, saying, “We are creating a community where families have access to an exceptional education right where they live and work.”

What The School Means for SoLé Mia Residents

For families living at SoLé Mia, the school adds another important piece to the community's walkable lifestyle. Residents receive enrollment preference, giving families an opportunity to attend a school located within their neighborhood. The school also creates a pathway for students beyond elementary school. After fifth grade, students can continue at the nearby Mater Academy Biscayne Middle and High School, providing an opportunity to remain within the Mater Academy network while pursuing a college-preparatory education.

What LeFrak and Turnberry Say About The School

The school was included in SoLé Mia's master plan from the beginning, according to Richard LeFrak, chairman and CEO of LeFrak.

“A top-tier academic institution has been part of the master plan for SoLé Mia since its inception,” LeFrak said, adding that the school's debut marks an important milestone for the community following the opening of UHealth earlier this year.

Jackie Soffer, chairman and CEO of Turnberry, said the goal was to create a neighborhood where families could access quality education close to home.

“Families look at a neighborhood differently when a terrific school is close to home,” Soffer said.

The comments underscore how the school fits into the broader residential strategy at SoLé Mia, where education is being added alongside healthcare, recreation, retail and dining.

What The School Adds to The Larger Development

Mater Academy is becoming part of a much larger master-planned community spanning 184 acres between Biscayne Boulevard and Biscayne Bay near Oleta River State Park. SoLé Mia is already home to more than 1,000 residents across The Shoreline, Villa SoLé and Villa Laguna. At full completion, the community is planned to include 4,390 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of commercial activity.
The addition of Mater Academy strengthens the community's goal of creating what the developers describe as a walkable environment centered on wellness and convenience. The school joins the growing collection of services and amenities intended to make SoLé Mia function as a neighborhood rather than simply a residential development.

What The Opening Means for Families

Mater Academy has spent nearly three decades building its public charter school network, with a focus on academics, innovation and student success. The SoLé Mia campus continues that model while giving families in Northeast Miami-Dade County another tuition-free school option. The school is currently enrolling students in kindergarten through fifth grade for the 2026-2027 school year. With nearly 200 students already starting the year and room for hundreds more, the campus also gives SoLé Mia an educational anchor that can grow alongside the community's residential population. For LeFrak and Turnberry, the opening represents another major step in building out SoLé Mia's long-term vision. For residents, it adds a practical amenity that can directly affect how families experience and evaluate the neighborhood.