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Houghton Elementary School

Q: Is Houghton Elementary School a good school?

Houghton Elementary School ranks 856 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

856^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Houghton Elementary School in White Lake, MI, is a mid-sized school serving 278 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the Waterford School District.

Houghton has seen its statewide ranking slip over the past several years, moving from a 3-star school in the late 2010s to its current 2-star rating. In the most recent school year, it ranked in the 43rd percentile statewide, which is notably lower than several nearby schools. For example, Haviland Elementary School (68th percentile) and Schoolcraft Elementary School (66th percentile) in the same district, as well as Dublin Elementary (79th percentile) in the neighboring Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, all outperform Houghton. One of the school's biggest challenges is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 24.9%—nearly double the rate at Beaumont Elementary School (13.2%) and Knudsen Elementary School (14.6%).

Despite spending a substantial $21,163 per student—higher than most peers, including Keith Elementary School at $15,159—Houghton's academic results don't yet reflect that investment. The school does show a notable strength: its low-income students ranked in the 56th percentile statewide, earning a 3-star rating, which suggests effective support for this group. However, performance varies widely by grade and subject. For instance, 5th graders showed 47.5% proficiency in English Language Arts, while 4th graders lagged at 28.6%. Social Studies is a consistent weak spot, with only 15% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state average of 27.5%. For parents, the key takeaway is that Houghton has dedicated resources and some bright spots, but improving attendance and addressing inconsistent grade-level performance will be critical to reversing its downward trend.

278

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,163

Per pupil spending ?

58.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8080 Elizabeth Lake Rd
White Lake, MI 48386-3410

(248) 698-9230

District: Waterford School District

Students who attend Houghton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Pierce Middle School
High:	Waterford Kettering High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.0%

Hispanic:

13.3%

African American:

9.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Houghton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Social Studies scores 13 pts below the Michigan average

!Near the bottom of Waterford School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg37%

Michigan avg38%

856^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 38% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^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	40.4	856 of 1492	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.2	905 of 1488	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.7	908 of 1486	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.1	904 of 1470	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	883 of 1344	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.9	861 of 1153	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.9	620 of 1408	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.2	452 of 1448	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.6	548 of 1466	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	39.5	962 of 1548	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.2	1097 of 1580	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	24.1	1237 of 1533	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.7	1048 of 1563	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.0	933 of 1566	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.7	928 of 1552	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	68.2	592 of 1552	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.3	503 of 1589	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.4	518 of 1577	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.8	594 of 1565	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.0	670 of 1545	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.3	898 of 1343	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.0	754 of 1338	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.8	803 of 1342	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.2	837 of 1321	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	692 of 1106	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	580 of 902	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.3	482 of 1171	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.2	351 of 1443	75.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.2	591 of 1352	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.3	619 of 1346	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	736 of 1381	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.0	801 of 1350	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	530 of 1099	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	312 of 1134	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	260 of 1397	81.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	763 of 1372	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.9	962 of 1366	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	974 of 1347	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.6	873 of 1334	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.1	863 of 1139	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.1	765 of 1196	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.7	608 of 1446	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	48.7	181 of 403	55.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	813 of 1199	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.2	901 of 1206	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	912 of 1204	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	924 of 1198	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	897 of 1102	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	772 of 1005	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.1	591 of 1128	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.3	462 of 1253	63.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile+14 vs school

Special Education (2018)55th percentile-14 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile~ school

Female (2026)33rd percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science38%~ state avg

English Language Arts37%-4 vs state

Math34%-4 vs state

Social Studies15%-13 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 31, 2012

My daughter has been here for two years and it has been horrible. I am switching her out of this school next year. The teachers do not care, the principal will not help, test scores are horrible. Bullying is a huge issue at this school. Kids are bringing knives and brass knuckles to school and the principal does not feel they should be suspended. A child was kicked down onto the ground then kicked in the ribs until they were broken and nothing is being done about it. They say they will help, but never do anything. My daughter hates school for the first time ever. Every day she comes home crying because she was bullied again at school. Many parents have said they are thinking about leaving this school, just as I am. Close Quote

Schools Near Houghton 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)				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	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Houghton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8080 Elizabeth Lake Rd	White Lake	48386	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 698-9230	278	19	14.3	58.3%	189 (68.0%)	26 (9.4%)	37 (13.3%)	5 (1.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.5%)	40.4	856^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.6%		37.2	905^th of 1488 public elementary schools	39.2%	49	34.8	28.6	47.5	37.0	35.7	30.0	37.5	15.0	$21,163	$1,529	$19,633
Dublin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Farnsworth Rd	White Lake	48386	Oakland County	Walled Lake Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 956-3800	467	27	17.0	23.8%	400 (85.7%)	6 (1.3%)	27 (5.8%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.4%)	76.5	313^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.0%		75.6	327^th of 1488 public elementary schools	78.0%	14	53.6	52.1	67.5	55.1	49.3	37.3	56.6	43.4	$13,975	$344	$13,632
Beaumont Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6532 Elizabeth Lake Rd	Waterford	48327	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 682-6822	298	18	16.7	61.1%	190 (63.8%)	55 (18.5%)	33 (11.1%)	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	45.4	767^th of 1492 public elementary schools	48.6%		56.8	611^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.9%	156	21.9	53.5	55.3	26.6	41.9	36.2	38.3	21.3	$17,439	$1,526	$15,913
Oxbow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Oxbow Lake Rd	White Lake	48386	Oakland County	Huron Valley Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 684-8085	397	26	15.5	43.3%	314 (79.1%)	5 (1.3%)	53 (13.4%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.3%)	48.2	725^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.4%		49.5	727^th of 1488 public elementary schools	51.1%	2	41.0	40.3	35.8	54.1	44.2	22.4	41.8	19.4	$17,716	$1,388	$16,328
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
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
Haviland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5305 Cass Elizabeth Rd	Waterford	48327	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 682-2620	308	22	14.3	57.5%	177 (57.5%)	41 (13.3%)	62 (20.1%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.8%)	65.7	479^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.9%		51.3	698^th of 1488 public elementary schools	53.1%	219	40.0	65.8	52.1	46.0	57.9	35.4	45.8	33.3	$21,081	$1,578	$19,503
Keith Elementary School	Public	K-5	2800 Keith Rd	West Bloomfield	48324	Oakland County	Walled Lake Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 956-3700	542	36	14.9	19.9%	455 (83.9%)	22 (4.1%)	26 (4.8%)	15 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	72	379^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.6%		73.1	367^th of 1488 public elementary schools	75.3%	12	49.5	42.2	62.2	58.2	42.2	48.6	62.2	35.1	$15,159	$563	$14,595
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	$17,791	$2,756	$15,035
Gretchko Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5300 Greer Rd	West Bloomfield	48324	Oakland County	West Bloomfield School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 865-6570	331	24	13.8	31.7%	169 (51.1%)	78 (23.6%)	41 (12.4%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.1%)	68.8	425^th of 1492 public elementary schools	71.5%		59.5	566^th of 1488 public elementary schools	62.0%	141	42.1	45.7	67.3	56.1	28.3	38.8	59.2	44.9	$17,025	$549	$16,476

Frequently Asked Questions about Houghton Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Houghton Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Pierce Middle School
High : Waterford Kettering High School

What is the racial makeup of Houghton Elementary School?

Students at Houghton Elementary School are 68% White, 13% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Houghton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 278 students attended Houghton Elementary School.

Is Houghton Elementary School a good school?

Houghton Elementary School ranks 856^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Houghton Elementary School in?

Waterford School District

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Schools in White Lake, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.