Henry S. West Laboratory School, 5300 Carillo St.: a K-8 magnet school, 373 students (NCES 2024-25), an A in Florida's 2026 grades. How to apply.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Sources: the Henry S. West Laboratory School website, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools school directory, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file and the federal NCES school directory.

Henry S. West Laboratory School, known as West Lab, is a Miami-Dade County Public Schools magnet school for kindergarten through eighth grade on Carillo Street in Coral Gables. It has no attendance zone. Every student applies through the district’s magnet application, and places are filled by the district’s random selection, according to the school’s admission FAQs.

Who to call
Address 5300 Carillo St., Coral Gables, FL 33146
Phone 305-661-7661
Grades K to 8
Mascot Crabs
Admission Magnet application and random selection
District Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Principal

Principal Michelle M. Sanchez-Perez, according to the school’s administrative team page.

Enrollment

The federal NCES directory counted 373 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 26 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, a ratio of about 14 students per teacher. The district’s online directory currently lists 386 students against a capacity of 424; it does not give a date for that count.

How to apply

From the school’s FAQs:

  • Who can apply: any student in kindergarten through eighth grade. A kindergartner must turn 5 on or before Sept. 1. Any address is accepted on the application, but a Miami-Dade County address is needed to register.
  • When: Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, for the next school year.
  • What to send: the district’s online School Choice application. Applicants for grades 6 to 8 also upload a current report card with attendance. No teacher recommendations are needed.
  • Selection: completed applications go into the district’s random selection. Results are released March 15, and the waiting list changes daily as families accept or decline.
  • Preference: set by School Board Policy 2370 on magnet programs, which the school links from its admissions page.
  • Twins: each applies separately; if one is selected, both may attend.
  • Tours: monthly from September to January, adults only, for parents of children old enough to apply. The school’s calendar shows the Oct. 15 and Nov. 5 tours already full.

The school says its German International Studies program has been phased out.

State report card

Florida grades every public school A to F. The state says school grades “provide an easily understandable way to measure the performance of a school,” in its 2026 school grades overview.

School year Grade
2025-26 A (89% of possible points)
2024-25 A
2023-24 A

From the 2026 grades file, where achievement is the share of tested students at grade level or above:

  • Third grade English language arts achievement: 95%
  • English language arts achievement: 96%
  • Math achievement: 97%
  • Science achievement: 96%
  • Social studies achievement: 100%
  • Middle school acceleration (eligible students passing a high school end-of-course exam or earning an industry certification): 97%

The full report card is on the state’s Florida school report cards site.

Attendance zone

West Lab has no zone; the district’s directory lists no boundary for it. It places the school in the Coral Gables Senior High feeder pattern. To find the zoned schools for an address, use the district’s Find Your Neighborhood School lookup.

Calendar and bell times

From the school’s hours page:

  • Kindergarten: 8:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
  • Grades 1 to 8: 8:35 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.; on Wednesdays, 8:35 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Next breaks on the district’s 2026-27 calendar (PDF):

  • Friday, Oct. 16: end of the first grading period
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher planning day, no students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, schools closed
  • Nov. 26-27: Thanksgiving holiday and recess day
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter recess

More on Coral Gables schools

Frequently asked questions

How do you get into Henry S. West Laboratory School?

Apply through the district’s School Choice magnet application between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15. Completed applications go into the district’s random selection, and results come out March 15, the school says.

What grades does West Lab serve?

Kindergarten through eighth grade, at 5300 Carillo St. in Coral Gables. The school says it has no pre-K.

What is Henry S. West Laboratory School’s school grade?

It earned an A in Florida’s 2026 school grades for the 2025-26 school year, with 89% of possible points, and an A in each of the two years before.

Which high school does West Lab feed into?

The district’s school directory places it in the Coral Gables Senior High feeder pattern. West Lab has no attendance zone, so each student’s zoned high school depends on the home address.

What time does West Lab start?

Kindergarten runs from 8:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Grades 1 to 8 run from 8:35 a.m. to 3:05 p.m., and to 1:50 p.m. on Wednesdays, according to the school’s hours page.