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Independence Elementary School

Q: Is Independence Elementary School a good school?

Independence Elementary School ranks 218 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

218^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Independence Elementary School in Clarkston, MI, is a consistently high-performing school serving 446 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the highly ranked Clarkston Community School District.

What truly sets Independence apart is its exceptional performance in subjects that often get less attention. In 5th-grade Social Studies, proficiency rates have been more than double the state average, reaching 70.3% in the 2024-2025 school year compared to just 29.8% statewide. The school shows similar strength in 5th-grade Science, with 65.8% of students proficient versus 40% across Michigan. Early math foundations are also a standout—3rd-grade math proficiency hit 77.1% in 2024-2025, far exceeding the district's 67.3% and the state's 42.7%. Perhaps most impressive is the school's remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.6%, which is nearly half the district average and less than a third of the state average. This suggests a school where students are engaged and eager to attend, creating a positive learning environment that supports academic success.

While Independence is a top-tier school even within its high-achieving district, the data reveals areas for continued focus. The current 3rd-grade class shows a significant dip in ELA proficiency (40%) compared to the 5th-grade cohort (67.1%), a gap that school leaders are likely monitoring closely. Additionally, after a stellar 5-star year in 2024-2025, the school's ranking dipped slightly to the 85th percentile—still a strong performance, but indicating room for improvement. Notably, Independence achieves these results while spending less per student ($17,716) than some lower-performing schools in the area, such as North Sashabaw Elementary ($23,272). When compared to nearby peers like Bailey Lake Elementary and Springfield Plains Elementary, Independence's edge in Social Studies and its dramatically lower absenteeism make it a clear leader—a school that delivers excellent results efficiently and supports all its learners effectively.

446

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,716

Per pupil spending ?

11.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

91.7%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 8.3% (any vaccine)

6850 Hubbard Rd
Clarkston, MI 48348-2822

(248) 623-5500

District: Clarkston Community School District

Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sashabaw Middle School
High:	Clarkston High School
	Clarkston Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.0%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 94th percentile in 2022 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (58% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Michigan elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 94th-percentile peak (2022) to 85th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg58%

Michigan avg38%

218^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Clarkston Community School District

98^th of 625Clarkston Community School District among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	84.0	218 of 1492	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	91.3	103 of 1488	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	83.1	217 of 1486	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	90.0	113 of 1470	92.3%	★★★★★
2022	91.7	79 of 1344	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	83.8	140 of 1153	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	85.0	151 of 1408	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	206 of 1448	85.8%	★★★★☆
2017	80.3	207 of 1466	85.9%	★★★★☆
2016	74.4	342 of 1548	77.9%	★★★★☆
2015	72.7	400 of 1580	74.7%	★★★★☆
2014	81.8	210 of 1533	86.3%	★★★★☆
2013	74.2	356 of 1563	77.2%	★★★★☆
2012	87.0	133 of 1566	91.5%	★★★★★
2011	85.3	39 of 1552	97.5%	★★★★★
2010	84.3	17 of 1552	98.9%	★★★★★
2009	87.0	41 of 1589	97.4%	★★★★★
2008	82.1	142 of 1577	91.0%	★★★★★
2007	85.7	61 of 1565	96.1%	★★★★★
2006	85.4	67 of 1545	95.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	82.8	177 of 1343	86.8%	★★★★☆
2025	91.9	70 of 1338	94.8%	★★★★★
2024	79.6	212 of 1342	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	107 of 1321	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	87.5	90 of 1106	91.9%	★★★★★
2021	79.0	134 of 902	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	77.1	193 of 1171	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	358 of 1443	75.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	77.1	193 of 1381	86.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	78.8	245 of 1372	82.1%	★★★★☆
2025	83.2	187 of 1366	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	78.9	220 of 1347	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	85.8	129 of 1334	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	91.4	61 of 1139	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	73.7	194 of 915	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	135 of 1196	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	87.2	133 of 1446	90.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	77.6	236 of 1199	80.3%	★★★★☆
2025	86.7	125 of 1206	89.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	246 of 1204	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	118 of 1198	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.0	85 of 1102	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	80.1	146 of 1005	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	176 of 1128	84.4%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	200 of 1253	84.0%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)87th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)86th percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)80th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science66%+26 vs state

English Language Arts58%+17 vs state

Social Studies58%+30 vs state

Math56%+17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Independence Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)			M-Step Math (2026)			M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6850 Hubbard Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5500	446	30	14.9	11.4%	397 (89.0%)	7 (1.6%)	22 (4.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	84	218^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.4%		91.3	103^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	93.1%	115	40.0	64.8	67.1	63.1	60.6	44.7	65.8	57.9	91.7%	8.3%	$17,716	$895	$16,821
Springfield Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8650 Holcomb Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-3800	495	32	15.4	11.5%	429 (86.7%)	6 (1.2%)	33 (6.7%)	11 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	92.9	87^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.2%		88.7	141^st of 1488 public elementary schools	90.5%	54	65.5	55.3	74.2	70.1	64.5	65.2	82.0	60.7	95%	5%	$16,929	$827	$16,102
Clarkston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6589 Waldon Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5100	416	30	13.8	14.4%	361 (86.8%)	11 (2.6%)	29 (7.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	83.8	223^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	85.1%		84.2	218^th of 1488 public elementary schools	85.3%	5	46.7	64.2	59.3	53.3	70.1	55.6	59.3	50.0	92.5%	7.5%	$18,162	$895	$17,267
Bailey Lake Elementary School	Public	K-5	8051 Pine Knob Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5300	522	37	14.1	12.1%	450 (86.2%)	6 (1.1%)	40 (7.7%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.3%)	91.9	103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.1%		89.4	132^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	91.1%	29	70.3	65.7	69.3	74.7	74.6	52.0	64.4	49.5	91.5%	8.5%	$17,132	$795	$16,337
Pine Knob Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6020 Sashabaw Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-3901	487	34	14.3	28.1%	374 (76.8%)	25 (5.1%)	47 (9.7%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.7%)	88	164^th of 1492 public elementary schools	89.0%		89.5	130^th of 1488 public elementary schools	91.3%	34	59.5	55.2	72.6	63.5	55.2	60.3	65.8	52.1	85.7%	11.4%	$16,602	$939	$15,663
Andersonville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10350 Andersonville Rd	Davisburg	48350	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-5200	318	23	13.7	25.2%	268 (84.3%)	5 (1.6%)	30 (9.4%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	73.7	361^st of 1492 public elementary schools	75.8%		75.4	333^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	77.6%	28	56.0	59.0	51.2	52.0	57.4	46.5	46.5	30.2	86.7%	13.3%	$19,195	$952	$18,243
North Sashabaw Elementary School	Public	K-5	5290 Maybee Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-4100	313	29	10.9	51.4%	189 (60.4%)	5 (1.6%)	80 (25.6%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.2%)	39.8	865^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.0%		42.4	829^th of 1488 public elementary schools	44.3%	36	22.7	37.7	44.9	40.9	37.7	30.6	34.7	16.3	87.5%	10.4%	$23,272	$1,515	$21,757
Waterford Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	4860 Midland Ave	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford Montessori Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 674-2400	213	14	15.6	38.5%	144 (67.6%)	18 (8.5%)	33 (15.5%)	3 (1.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.1%)	35.4	924^th of 1492 public elementary schools	38.1%		23.8	1096^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.3%	172	42.1	41.5	37.5	31.6	31.7	10.0	35.0	17.5			$13,642	$899	$12,743
Schoolcraft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6400 Maceday Dr	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-6211	398	23	17.3	54.5%	307 (77.1%)	21 (5.3%)	47 (11.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.5%)	63	513^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.6%		68.2	439^th of 1488 public elementary schools	70.5%	74	44.9	59.2	53.4	43.6	55.3	37.9	37.3	23.7	90.4%	5.8%	$17,791	$2,756	$15,035
Grayson Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	3800 W Walton Blvd	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(248) 674-0200	437	24	17.9	53.8%	263 (60.2%)	53 (12.1%)	80 (18.3%)	11 (2.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.2%)	44.4	787^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.3%		48.6	743^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	50.1%	44	27.0	55.2	45.7	31.1	43.3	27.1	37.1	18.6	75%	18.2%	$15,554	$1,465	$14,089

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary School

Is Independence Elementary School a good school?

Independence Elementary School ranks 218^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Independence Elementary School in?

Clarkston Community School District

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sashabaw Middle School
High : Clarkston High School
High : Clarkston Junior High School

How many students attend Independence Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 446 students attended Independence Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary School?

Students at Independence Elementary School are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

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Schools in Clarkston, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.