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Riverside Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1138^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 24% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Riverside Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Waterford, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 306 students. The school is part of the Waterford School District, which is ranked 347 out of 613 school districts in Michigan and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Riverside Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Michigan elementary schools, with a ranking between 777 and 1138 out of around 1,500 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on state assessments (M-Step) is significantly below the Waterford School District and Michigan state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 25.5% of 3rd graders, 17.9% of 4th graders, and 28.6% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district averages of 42.7%, 44.7%, and 41.5%, respectively. The school's math proficiency rates are also low, with only 31.9% of 3rd graders, 8.93% of 4th graders, and 24.4% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better, compared to the district averages. Additionally, Riverside Elementary School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.3% to 31.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Riverside Elementary School's academic performance is significantly lower than most of the nearby schools in the Waterford School District, such as Schoolcraft Elementary, Grayson Elementary, and Cooley Elementary, which all have higher rankings and better test scores. The nearby Waterford Montessori Academy, a public charter school, also outperforms Riverside Elementary School in academic measures. Despite the relatively high spending per student at Riverside Elementary School, the school's academic performance remains poor, suggesting that the resources may not be effectively allocated or utilized to support student learning.

291

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,248

Per pupil spending ?

64.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5280 Farm Rd
Waterford, MI 48327-2420

(248) 674-0805

District: Waterford School District

Students who attend Riverside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Pierce Middle School
High:	Waterford Kettering High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.2%

Hispanic:

16.2%

African American:

14.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Riverside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 24th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (22% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg36%

Michigan avg39%

1,138^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

347^th of 613Waterford 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
2025	21.1	1138 of 1488	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	1135 of 1486	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	938 of 1470	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.0	956 of 1344	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.0	777 of 1153	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.5	937 of 1408	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.8	744 of 1448	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	58.6	527 of 1466	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.8	838 of 1548	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.6	1072 of 1580	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.0	735 of 1533	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.9	920 of 1563	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	31.5	1199 of 1566	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	51.0	973 of 1552	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.6	700 of 1552	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.3	745 of 1589	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.5	863 of 1577	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.5	992 of 1565	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.9	904 of 1545	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	1067 of 1338	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	980 of 1342	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	875 of 1321	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.7	854 of 1106	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.7	847 of 902	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	38.3	736 of 1171	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.0	604 of 1443	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	1029 of 1346	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.8	1030 of 1381	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.2	693 of 1350	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.1	719 of 1099	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.9	511 of 749	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.6	756 of 1134	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.6	552 of 1397	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	1101 of 1366	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	1213 of 1347	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	814 of 1334	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	890 of 1139	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.2	1055 of 1196	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.4	881 of 1446	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.0	1030 of 1206	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	1011 of 1204	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.3	717 of 1198	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.1	898 of 1102	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.1	829 of 1005	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.7	762 of 1128	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.5	579 of 1253	53.8%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)24th percentile~ school

Female (2025)20th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)15th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science33%-7 vs state

English Language Arts23%-18 vs state

Math21%-18 vs state

Social Studies12%-18 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, October 13, 2023

Horrible run down building stuck in the 90s employing adults with control issues and extreme disorganization. I removed my child- 3 teachers throughout his year and his (kindergarten) classroom looked like a jail cell, the office staff do not check ID for pick ups in office, and front office staff also sent my child home with an emergency contact after speaking to me/telling me my child would be going back to class. Stay far away, this school destroyed my son’s love for school. Close Quote

Schools Near Riverside Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)					M-Step Science (2025)		M-Step Social Studies (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
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%)	21.1	1138^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.5%		22.6	1135^th of 1486 public elementary schools	23.6%	3			25.5	17.9	28.6			31.9	8.9	24.4			33.3		11.9		$22,248	$4,311	$17,937
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%)	33.7	960^th of 1488 public elementary schools	35.5%		34	951^st of 1486 public elementary schools	36.0%	9			54.8	24.4	41.8			38.1	24.4	18.2			27.3		16.7		$18,007	$2,566	$15,440
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%)	56.4	622^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	58.2%		64.3	494^th of 1486 public elementary schools	66.8%	128			52.3	41.2	40.0			44.6	50.0	33.3			53.3		22.0		$17,417	$2,000	$15,417
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%)	56.8	611^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.9%		48.7	719^th of 1486 public elementary schools	51.6%	108			46.7	63.6	50.0			28.9	56.8	32.7			42.3		23.1		$17,986	$2,421	$15,564
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%)	68.5	431^st of 1488 public elementary schools	71.0%		48.7	718^th of 1486 public elementary schools	51.7%	287	82.4	29.4	64.7			59.5	51.4	44.4			27.0	27.0		70.6		82.4	$7,571	$590	$6,980
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%)	51.3	698^th of 1488 public elementary schools	53.1%		44.2	779^th of 1486 public elementary schools	47.6%	81			70.7	48.0	35.8			53.7	46.0	20.0			41.8		18.2		$19,097	$2,156	$16,941
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%)	68.2	439^th of 1488 public elementary schools	70.5%		68.6	432^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	70.9%	7			44.4	61.0	53.2			47.9	61.0	45.2			40.3		35.5		$17,708	$2,327	$15,381
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%)	23.8	1096^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.3%		23	1125^th of 1486 public elementary schools	24.3%	29			46.7	19.6	28.3			33.3	17.0	10.9			32.6		13.0		$14,055	$768	$13,287
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%)	48.6	743^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	50.1%		37.9	887^th of 1486 public elementary schools	40.3%	144			46.3	60.0	38.7			49.3	42.9	17.3			34.7		20.0		$15,605	$1,882	$13,723
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%)	28.9	1027^th of 1488 public elementary schools	31.0%		29.8	1021^st of 1486 public elementary schools	31.3%	6			18.3	42.0	39.3			26.8	34.0	21.3			27.9		16.7		$18,981	$2,879	$16,102

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverside Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Riverside Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Pierce Middle School
High : Waterford Kettering High School

What is the racial makeup of Riverside Elementary School?

Students at Riverside Elementary School are 61% White, 16% Hispanic, 14% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Riverside Elementary School in?

Waterford School District

How many students attend Riverside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 291 students attended Riverside Elementary School.

Is Riverside Elementary School a good school?

Riverside Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.5% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Riverside Elementary School!

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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.