Collins Elementary School

Collins Elementary School in Houghton Lake, MI, serves 489 students in Pre-K through 6th grade as part of the Houghton Lake Community Schools district, where about 84% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Collins has shown steady improvement over the past decade, climbing from the 28th to the 37th percentile statewide. The school's biggest strength is 6th grade English Language Arts, where 49.4% of students are proficient—nearly 12 points above the state average—and this has been consistent for several years. However, 5th grade math is a serious concern, with only 7.5% proficient versus the state's 32.2%, a gap that has persisted for multiple years. Science and social studies also lag significantly. Chronic absenteeism affects 34.7% of students, which is higher than the state average of 27.9% but better than the district's overall rate of 46.7%. When compared to nearby schools, Collins performs similarly to Robert M Larson Elementary School, which serves a comparable student population, but trails Roscommon Elementary School, which serves a wealthier community and has lower absenteeism and smaller class sizes.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Collins has dedicated educators achieving real success in upper-grade reading, but the school faces significant hurdles in math and attendance. The school spends $16,492 per student—less than nearby districts—yet still achieves comparable results to schools with similar demographics. The most recent year represents Collins' best ranking in available data, suggesting recent efforts may be paying off. If your child struggles with math or has attendance issues, these are areas to watch closely. Conversely, if your child is entering 6th grade, the literacy program appears to be a genuine bright spot worth celebrating.