Elementary Schools in Houghton Lake Community Schools

Houghton Lake Community Schools has one elementary school, Collins Elementary School, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. The school is located in a relatively low-income area, with 76.22% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While the school's spending per student is higher than the state average, its academic performance on state assessments is generally below state averages across grade levels and subject areas.

Collins Elementary School's student population is predominantly white (89.37%), with smaller percentages of Hispanic and other racial groups. The school's student-teacher ratio of 17.3 is slightly higher than the state average. One significant challenge facing the school is its high chronic absenteeism rate of 40.8%, which is significantly above the state average. This high rate of chronic absenteeism likely contributes to the school's low academic performance, as reflected in its declining statewide ranking over the past three years, from 935 out of 1,344 Michigan elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 994 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024.

Despite the school's relatively high spending per student, its academic performance remains below state averages, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution. The school's leadership and the Houghton Lake Community Schools district may need to examine how resources are being utilized and allocated to support student learning, as well as implement strategies to improve attendance and address the needs of the predominantly low-income student population.