This report describes the impact on the Dade County, Florida, public school system of the 125 Cuban (and some Haitian) refugees arriving in the Mariel exodus. In September 1980 the school system had to absorb 13,000 new refugee students. Preparing for the students included hiring many bilingual teachers, reopening schools that had closed, establishing special entrant schools and programs, and obtaining funding. In the first year overcrowding was a drastic problem, with as many as 60 students in some classes. Many of the students were not well prepared, with median scores of 33% in basic reading skills and 24% in mathematics tests in Spanish. A further problem was the Marxist education the children had received in Cuba, which meant that there were extreme differences in the educational material they had covered and the methodology they were accustomed to. In general, it is reported, the schools were successful in accomodating these students, although some students "fell through the cracks" and others--mostly older unaccompanied minors--were never enrolled in the schools. The report concludes with a description of ongoing concerns, including the lack of an adequate Federal government response to the crisis and related experiences with Nicaraguan refugees. Included are a bibliography, appendices outlining costs of the refugee program, recommended instruction materials for students with limited English proficiency, a listing of programs for limited English proficient students, and a comparison of elementary school programs for students classified independent in English versus those limited in English. (CG)