[5][6] Prior to its transition to a magnet school, José Martí Middle experienced troubling events such as the intentional setting of a fire in 1999.

The school has maintained a relatively small population since this transition, in order to offer its students a richer one-on-one learning experience.

In April 2014, The Miami Laker wrote, "the founding class for José Martí MAST Academy contains 50 students scheduled to graduate in 2015.

[18] The Green Club at the school has planted and maintained a native arboretum, which includes 38 species of trees, shrubs, and grasses.

[19] Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden also partnered with the school in order to conduct the Million Orchid Project.

[18][20] The project is meant to re-establish the Cyrtopodium punctatum, commonly known as the Florida Cowhorn orchid.

[15][21] In 2017, NBC Miami reported that a botany class continued working on the Million Orchid Project, and wrote, "the kids are learning real science, aided by technology.

[25] The school connects with its students through social media outlets such as Twitter, Edmodo, and teachers' personal websites.

This award placed Jose Martí MAST in the top 1% of magnet schools in the country.

[33] In 2013, seven Jose Martí MAST students placed 1st to 3rd in several categories for the Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County Poster and Essay Contests.

[41][42] JMMA has ranked within U.S. News & World Report's top 100 best high schools in the United States list on multiple occasions.