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Donelson Hills Elementary School

Q: Is Donelson Hills Elementary School a good school?

Donelson Hills Elementary School ranks 946 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

946^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Donelson Hills Elementary School in Waterford, MI, serves 392 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Waterford School District. The school has shown a clear upward trend in recent years, climbing from the 12th percentile statewide in 2021-2022 to the 37th percentile in 2025-2026, and improving its star rating from 1 to 2 stars. Nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic need in the community.

One of the most encouraging stories at Donelson Hills is its steady improvement. Chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from a high of 45.5% in 2021-2022 to 24.3% in the most recent data—now better than both the district average (25.6%) and the state average (27.9%). This improvement likely ties into the school's rising academic performance. The school also stands out for its strong results with African American and Hispanic students, who ranked in the 71st and 68th percentiles statewide, respectively, in 2025-2026. That's a notable strength compared to the school's overall ranking and suggests effective strategies for supporting a diverse student body.

However, there are areas of concern. Fifth-grade math is a significant weakness, with only 12.5% of students proficient in 2025-2026—less than half the district rate (26.2%) and well below the state average (32.2%). This "5th grade cliff" appears in other subjects too, with scores dropping sharply from 3rd and 4th grade to 5th grade. Additionally, Donelson Hills spends a substantial $16,769 per student, yet its overall ranking (37th percentile) trails some in-district peers like Cooley Elementary School and Haviland Elementary School, both at the 68th percentile. The student-to-teacher ratio of 17.8 is also higher than Haviland's 14.3 and Knudsen Elementary School's 14.8. Compared to nearby Pontiac City School District schools like Alcott School and Whitman Elementary School, Donelson Hills performs significantly better, highlighting the impact of district-level factors. For parents, this is a school on the rise, with real strengths in equity and attendance, but one that needs focused attention on 5th-grade math.

392

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,769

Per pupil spending ?

79.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2690 Wewoka Rd
Waterford, MI 48328-3259

(248) 682-9530

District: Waterford School District

Students who attend Donelson Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mason Middle School
High:	Waterford Mott High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.4%

White:

32.7%

African American:

21.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Donelson Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (30% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Science scores 16 pts below the Michigan average

!Near the bottom of Waterford School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg37%

Michigan avg38%

946^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to bottom 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Waterford School District

335^th of 625Waterford 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	33.6	946 of 1492	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.9	1027 of 1488	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	1021 of 1486	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.5	1138 of 1470	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	1180 of 1344	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	1008 of 1153	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	1110 of 1408	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.4	1281 of 1448	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.4	1205 of 1466	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.4	1231 of 1548	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	41.9	972 of 1580	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	30.4	1161 of 1533	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.0	1351 of 1563	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.8	1207 of 1566	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.3	1291 of 1552	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	60.5	839 of 1552	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	57.3	876 of 1589	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.5	1098 of 1577	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.3	928 of 1565	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	58.6	767 of 1545	50.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	112 of 388	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	50.1	142 of 369	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	103 of 348	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	41.5	261 of 475	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	95 of 188	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.3	119 of 180	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.5	253 of 270	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	922 of 1343	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.8	961 of 1338	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.8	752 of 1342	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.3	998 of 1321	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	1040 of 1106	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	825 of 902	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	963 of 1171	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.6	1254 of 1443	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	71 of 225	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.2	136 of 209	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.1	132 of 201	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.9	129 of 188	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	49 of 86	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	16 of 30	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	42 of 86	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	21.8	198 of 222	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.3	721 of 1352	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.1	875 of 1346	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.9	936 of 1381	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.0	1026 of 1350	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	924 of 1099	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	621 of 749	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	842 of 1134	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	1168 of 1397	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	885 of 1372	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.3	1048 of 1366	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	1121 of 1347	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	1160 of 1334	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	1069 of 1139	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	860 of 915	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.9	1010 of 1196	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	1239 of 1446	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	812 of 1199	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	768 of 1206	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	731 of 1204	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	864 of 1198	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	969 of 1102	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	844 of 1005	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	915 of 1128	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.8	1150 of 1253	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)71st percentile+35 vs school

Hispanic (2026)68th percentile+32 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)49th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile~ school

White (2026)32nd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts37%-4 vs state

Math28%-10 vs state

Science24%-16 vs state

Social Studies14%-14 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, August 17, 2018

I am a retired special education teacher. I taught in several inter city districts. Waterford district was not one of them.
I have volunteered here for better than 3 years. The staff cares for each and every student!
The children wonderful, their needs are different from suburban schools. When comparing schools please compare urban to urban schools for accurate analysis of school placements. Close Quote

Schools Near Donelson Hills 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Donelson Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	2690 Wewoka Rd	Waterford	48328	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 682-9530	392	22	17.8	79.8%	128 (32.7%)	86 (21.9%)	135 (34.4%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.4%)	33.6	946^th of 1492 public elementary schools	36.6%		28.9	1027^th of 1488 public elementary schools	31.0%	81			32.8	41.2	38.0			33.3	35.3	12.5			24.0		14.0		$16,769	$1,833	$14,936
Momentum Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	60 S Lynn Ave	Waterford	48328	Oakland County	Momentum Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 682-5000	219	15	14.6	87.7%	11 (5.0%)	56 (25.6%)	144 (65.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)								(n/a)	52.0	358.8	14.8	1372.5	1471.3	1566.4	22.2	22.2	1369.7	1455.8	1554.2	1668.2	1469.5	16.0	1469.6	24.0	$00	$00	$00
Waterford Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4350 Elizabeth Lake Rd	Waterford	48328	Oakland County	Waterford Montessori Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 674-2400	188	14	13.4	38.8%	123 (65.4%)	23 (12.2%)	31 (16.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.8%)	32.2	968^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.1%		68.5	431^st of 1488 public elementary schools	71.0%	537	85.3	23.5	21.7			42.9	64.7	26.1			14.3	44.1		55.9		76.5	$8,668	$616	$8,052
Alcott School	Public	K-5	460 W Kennett Rd	Pontiac	48340	Oakland County	Pontiac City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 451-7910	334	14	23.1	64.4%	19 (5.7%)	108 (32.3%)	185 (55.4%)	9 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	7.5	1422^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	4.7%		7.7	1408^th of 1488 public elementary schools	5.4%	14			1267.1	7.7	8.0			13.9	12.8	10.0			14.0		6.0		$29,641	$6,921	$22,720
Whitman Elementary School	Public	K-5	125 W Montcalm St	Pontiac	48342	Oakland County	Pontiac City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 451-7950	611	51	11.8	74.1%	18 (2.9%)	253 (41.4%)	298 (48.8%)	12 (2.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	6.4	1450^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.8%		7.8	1404^th of 1488 public elementary schools	5.6%	46			1262.2	11.6	13.3			1254.9	1355.5	1457.8			11.3		1466.3		$25,349	$4,612	$20,737
Pontiac Academy for Excellence Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	196 Cesar E Chavez	Pontiac	48342	Oakland County	Pontiac Academy for Excellence	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(248) 745-9420	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	5.1	1480^th of 1492 public elementary schools	0.8%					(n/a)			1266.9	6.4	1475.4			9.8	6.4	1466.5			11.8		1465.5
Cooley Elementary School	Public	K-5	2000 Highfield Rd	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 673-0300	377	21	17.5	50.4%	273 (72.4%)	29 (7.7%)	49 (13.0%)	13 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.2%)	65.8	477^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.0%		56.4	622^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	58.2%	145			43.1	55.2	58.5			48.6	43.3	34.0			56.6		30.2		$17,539	$1,633	$15,905
Knudsen Elementary School	Public	K-5	5449 Crescent Rd	Waterford	48327	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 682-7300	278	19	14.8	64.4%	190 (68.3%)	27 (9.7%)	41 (14.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (5.8%)	43.2	805^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.0%		33.7	960^th of 1488 public elementary schools	35.5%	155			52.3	42.6	41.9			50.0	32.6	14.0			32.6		7.0		$18,156	$1,440	$16,715
Great Lakes Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	46312 Woodward Ave	Pontiac	48342	Oakland County	Great Lakes Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(248) 334-6434	162	13	12.4	87.7%	3 (1.9%)	132 (81.5%)	20 (12.3%)	3 (1.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)								(n/a)	30.0	354.0	1256.4	1361.6	1461.1	1567.4	1670.3	1262.1	1355.9	1451.1	1558.7	1658.8	1469.8	1777.2	1462.8	1785.7	$16,852	$2,444	$14,408
Riverside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5280 Farm Rd	Waterford	48327	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 674-0805	291	19	14.9	64.9%	178 (61.2%)	42 (14.4%)	47 (16.2%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.2%)	23.8	1102^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	26.1%		21.1	1138^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.5%	36			22.5	39.6	28.8			27.5	31.3	10.2			25.4		10.2		$21,553	$1,583	$19,970

Frequently Asked Questions about Donelson Hills Elementary School

Is Donelson Hills Elementary School a good school?

Donelson Hills Elementary School ranks 946^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Donelson Hills Elementary School?

Students at Donelson Hills Elementary School are 34% Hispanic, 33% White, 22% African American, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Donelson Hills Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 392 students attended Donelson Hills Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Donelson Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Donelson Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mason Middle School
High : Waterford Mott High School

What district is Donelson Hills Elementary School in?

Waterford School District

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 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.