Summary:
Zip code 48346 in Clarkston, MI is home to three elementary schools—Pine Knob Elementary School, Clarkston Elementary School, and North Sashabaw Elementary School—all serving grades PK-5 (or K-5) within the highly-rated Clarkston Community School District, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 84th percentile statewide.
For parents, the standout choice is Pine Knob Elementary School, which leads the group with a 4-star rating and an 89th percentile statewide rank. Its test scores consistently outpace both district and state averages—for example, 72.6% of 5th graders were proficient in ELA versus 43.8% statewide. Clarkston Elementary School is a close second, also earning 4 stars (85th percentile) with strong but more variable scores, such as a 70.1% proficiency rate in 4th-grade math. In contrast, North Sashabaw Elementary School lags significantly, holding only a 2-star rating (42nd percentile) and posting proficiency rates often half those of its peers—just 22.7% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA.
Key differences extend beyond test scores. Clarkston Elementary has the lowest chronic absenteeism (11.3%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (14.42%), while North Sashabaw struggles with a 23.4% absenteeism rate and 51.44% economic disadvantage. Interestingly, North Sashabaw receives the highest per-student funding ($23,272) and has the smallest class sizes (10.9:1), yet this investment has not closed the achievement gap. Meanwhile, Pine Knob spends the least ($16,602 per student) but achieves the best results, underscoring that attendance and socioeconomic factors—not spending—are the strongest predictors of success here.
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