Is Independence Elementary School a good school?

Independence Elementary School ranks 217 th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 457 students attended Independence Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary School?

Students at Independence Elementary School are 89% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Sashabaw Middle School High : Clarkston High School High : Clarkston Junior High School

Independence Elementary School

Summary:

Independence Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Clarkston, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 439. The school is part of the Clarkston Community School District, which is ranked 105 out of 610 school districts in Michigan and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independence Elementary consistently ranks among the top 15% of Michigan elementary schools, with a ranking as high as 79th out of 1,344 schools in 2021-2022. The school's proficiency rates in M-Step assessments for English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies are significantly higher than the state averages across all grade levels. However, the student population at Independence Elementary is predominantly White, ranging from 87.7% to 93.12% over the past three school years, with a relatively low percentage of minority students. Additionally, the school has a low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 8.88% to 13.9%, suggesting that it serves a relatively affluent student population.

When compared to other schools in the Clarkston Community School District, Independence Elementary consistently outperforms its peers in academic performance, but it also has a significantly higher percentage of White students and a lower percentage of students from lower-income families. This lack of racial and socioeconomic diversity may present challenges in providing a truly inclusive learning environment. The school has also experienced an increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.2% in 2019-2020 to 15.3% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the state's average chronic absenteeism rate.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

6850 Hubbard Rd
Clarkston, MI 48348-2822

(248) 623-5500

District: Clarkston Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
217^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,433

Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sashabaw Middle School
High:	Clarkston High School
	Clarkston Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 457

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Hispanic:

3.9%

Two or more races:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 12%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Elementary School ranks better than 85.4% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Clarkston Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.08. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), two or more races (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 12% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Clarkston Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Elementary School is 14.2. 3 elementary schools in the Clarkston Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Elementary School employs 32 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary School is $14,433. 5 elementary schools in the Clarkston Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Elementary School 217^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Independence Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Clarkston Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Clarkston Community School District 105^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Elementary School?

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Rank History for Independence Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	85.40	67^th	1545	95.7%
2007	85.71	61^st	1565	96.1%
2008	82.06	142^nd	1577	91.0%
2009	87.01	41^st	1589	97.4%
2010	84.31	17^th	1552	98.9%
2011	85.31	39^th	1552	97.5%
2012	86.96	133^rd	1566	91.5%
2013	74.24	356^th	1563	77.2%
2014	81.80	210^th	1533	86.3%
2015	72.71	400^th	1580	74.7%
2016	74.42	342^nd	1548	77.9%
2017	80.32	207^th	1466	85.9%
2018	83.55	206^th	1448	85.8%
2019	85.01	151^st	1408	89.3%
2021	83.75	140^th	1153	87.9%
2022	91.65	79^th	1344	94.1%
2023	90.01	113^th	1470	92.3%
2024	83.08	217^th	1486	85.4%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	77.11	193^rd	1381	86.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	73.39	358^th	1443	75.2%
2019	77.11	193^rd	1171	83.5%
2021	79.03	134^th	902	85.1%
2022	87.48	90^th	1106	91.9%
2023	87.31	107^th	1321	91.9%
2024	79.63	212^th	1342	84.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	87.23	133^rd	1446	90.8%
2019	83.50	135^th	1196	88.7%
2021	73.71	194^th	915	78.8%
2022	91.38	61^st	1139	94.6%
2023	85.83	129^th	1334	90.3%
2024	78.86	220^th	1347	83.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	79.90	200^th	1253	84.0%
2019	79.32	176^th	1128	84.4%
2021	80.09	146^th	1005	85.5%
2022	87.96	85^th	1102	92.3%
2023	86.45	118^th	1198	90.2%
2024	76.17	246^th	1204	79.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	530	7	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
2001	588	7	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	602
2002	594	7	10	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	619
2003	594	7	10	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	619
2004	596	7	14	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	626
2005	596	10	12	4	1	n/a	n/a	1	624
2006	560	6	5	6	1	n/a	n/a	15	593
2007	564	2	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	15	595
2008	530	1	7	11	n/a	n/a	n/a	24	573
2009	524	3	5	13	1	n/a	n/a	23	569
2010	492	4	4	12	1	n/a	n/a	21	534
2011	471	7	3	33	1	0	3	0	518
2012	442	5	4	32	1	0	3	0	487
2013	432	5	5	31	2	0	2	0	477
2014	433	6	3	25	2	0	2	0	471
2015	418	5	3	26	2	0	5	0	459
2016	438	5	2	26	2	0	8	0	481
2017	457	6	1	23	1	0	6	0	494
2018	437	4	1	21	1	0	13	0	477
2019	456	4	4	17	0	0	13	0	494
2020	443	4	4	13	1	0	13	0	478
2021	325	1	3	6	1	0	13	0	349
2022	386	5	6	14	1	0	21	0	433
2023	385	8	5	17	1	0	23	0	439
2024	407	8	5	18	1	0	18	0	457

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	542	29.9	18.1	1.5
2001	602	30.5	19.7	2
2002	619	34.2	18.1	2.4
2003	619	34.2	18.1	2.4
2004	626	33.9	18.5	1.4
2005	624	36.1	17.3	1.8
2006	593	33.8	17.5	2.9
2007	595	32.4	18.4	2.8
2008	573	31.5	18.2	2.9
2009	569	28.4	20.0	4.4
2010	534	27.7	19.2	8.2
2011	518	24.6	21.0	9.1
2012	487	23.6	20.6	10.3
2013	477	24.9	19.1	8
2014	471	25.1	18.7	8.7
2015	459	24.0	19.1	5.9
2016	481	28.0	17.1	7.9
2017	494	27.0	18.2	6.3
2018	477	26.9	17.7	8.8
2019	494	29.8	16.5	10.7
2020	478	30.9	15.4	9.8
2021	349	26.7	13.0	8.9
2022	433	32.7	13.2	9
2023	439	35.7	12.2	13.9
2024	457	32.0	14.2	12

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	542	29.9	18.1	1.5
2001	602	30.5	19.7	2
2002	619	34.2	18.1	2.4
2003	619	34.2	18.1	2.4
2004	626	33.9	18.5	1.4
2005	624	36.1	17.3	1.8
2006	593	33.8	17.5	2.9
2007	595	32.4	18.4	2.8
2008	573	31.5	18.2	2.9
2009	569	28.4	20.0	4.4
2010	534	27.7	19.2	8.2
2011	518	24.6	21.0	9.1
2012	487	23.6	20.6	10.3
2013	477	24.9	19.1	8
2014	471	25.1	18.7	8.7
2015	459	24.0	19.1	5.9
2016	481	28.0	17.1	7.9
2017	494	27.0	18.2	6.3
2018	477	26.9	17.7	8.8
2019	494	29.8	16.5	10.7
2020	478	30.9	15.4	9.8
2021	349	26.7	13.0	8.9
2022	433	32.7	13.2	9
2023	439	35.7	12.2	13.9
2024	457	32.0	14.2	12

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$245 (2.1%)	$11,698 (97.9%)	$11,943
2020	$564 (4.7%)	$11,342 (95.3%)	$11,906
2021	$1,022 (7.7%)	$12,269 (92.3%)	$13,291
2022	$1,102 (8.7%)	$11,601 (91.3%)	$12,702
2023	$1,060 (7.3%)	$13,373 (92.7%)	$14,432

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 151^st of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 113^th of 1470 Elementary schools	3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)	58.4	74.6	16.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clarkston Community School District)	55.1	52.8	2.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)	61	80.9	19.9%
3rd Grade Math (Clarkston Community School District)	60.7	60	0.7%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)	64.9	67.9	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clarkston Community School District)	56.2	60.2	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)	71.4	47.4	24%
4th Grade Math (Clarkston Community School District)	56.6	53.5	3.1%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary School)	76.6	67.2	9.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Clarkston Community School District)	63.5	59.6	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	46.2	43.9	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Independence Elementary School)	63.6	62.1	1.5%
5th Grade Math (Clarkston Community School District)	53.5	45.7	7.8%
5th Grade Math (Michigan)	34.8	31.5	3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Independence Elementary School)	32.5	60.3	27.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Clarkston Community School District)	27.1	34.9	7.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	17.4	18.6	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	494	439	11.1%
African American	4	8	100%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	17	17
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	456	385	15.6%
Two or More Races	13	23	76.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	10.7%	13.9%	3.2%

Schools Near Independence Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				M-Step English Language Arts (2024)			M-Step Math (2024)			M-Step Science (2024)	M-Step Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Independence Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6850 Hubbard Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5500	457	32	14.2	12.0%	407 (89.1%)	8 (1.8%)	18 (3.9%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	83.1	217^th of 1486 public elementary schools	85.4%		90	113^th of 1470 public elementary schools	92.3%	104	49.3	71.8	65.1	60.0	63.4	38.4	64.0	45.3	$14,433	$1,060	$13,373
Springfield Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8650 Holcomb Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-3800	506	34	15.1	15.2%	436 (86.2%)	12 (2.4%)	28 (5.5%)	12 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.4%)	85.1	184^th of 1486 public elementary schools	87.6%		84.9	180^th of 1470 public elementary schools	87.8%	4	69.0	72.5	66.7	72.6	68.8	46.9	65.4	22.2	$14,033	$930	$13,103
Clarkston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6589 Waldon Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5100	386	29	13.5	16.1%	349 (90.4%)	2 (0.5%)	24 (6.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	86	174^th of 1486 public elementary schools	88.3%		82	230^th of 1470 public elementary schools	84.4%	56	54.0	57.1	66.7	68.0	50.0	63.3	73.3	50.0	$15,911	$929	$14,982
Bailey Lake Elementary School	Public	K-5	8051 Pine Knob Rd	Clarkston	48348	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	No	(248) 623-5300	519	34	15.4	12.3%	453 (87.3%)	6 (1.2%)	35 (6.7%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.5%)	89.3	129^th of 1486 public elementary schools	91.3%		85.8	173^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	88.2%	44	66.7	61.6	63.3	76.8	69.9	53.8	62.5	36.7	$14,676	$828	$13,848
Pine Knob Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6020 Sashabaw Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-3901	462	33	13.8	29.4%	350 (75.8%)	33 (7.1%)	43 (9.3%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.2%)	83.5	212^th of 1486 public elementary schools	85.7%		81.6	234^th of 1470 public elementary schools	84.1%	22	58.3	56.6	57.4	75.3	56.6	49.2	57.4	42.6	$15,439	$1,194	$14,245
Andersonville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10350 Andersonville Rd	Davisburg	48350	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-5200	315	22	14.2	27.6%	261 (82.9%)	5 (1.6%)	27 (8.6%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	72.1	373^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	74.9%		65.9	459^th of 1470 public elementary schools	68.8%	86	44.4	47.1	56.8	40.0	47.1	63.6	68.2	38.6	$16,296	$1,202	$15,094
North Sashabaw Elementary School	Public	K-5	5290 Maybee Rd	Clarkston	48346	Oakland County	Clarkston Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-4100	318	27	12.0	58.8%	201 (63.2%)	5 (1.6%)	76 (23.9%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.1%)	44.9	767^th of 1486 public elementary schools	48.4%		52.7	651^st of 1470 public elementary schools	55.7%	116	51.3	22.6	42.6	42.5	24.5	37.5	45.8	18.8	$20,034	$1,636	$18,398
Schoolcraft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6400 Maceday Dr	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 623-6211	411	24	17.1	53.0%	325 (79.1%)	17 (4.1%)	44 (10.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)	68.6	432^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	70.9%		69.2	405^th of 1470 public elementary schools	72.4%	27	52.6	69.5	59.7	56.1	68.9	53.9	38.2	7.9	$16,767	$2,677	$14,090
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	204	14	15.0	38.7%	149 (73.0%)	9 (4.4%)	31 (15.2%)	3 (1.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.9%)	23	1125^th of 1486 public elementary schools	24.3%		27.8	1025^th of 1470 public elementary schools	30.3%	100	30.8	20.0	37.0	23.1	14.3		33.3		$12,156	$755	$11,401
Grayson Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	3800 W Walton Blvd	Waterford	48329	Oakland County	Waterford School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(248) 674-0200	459	25	18.2	53.2%	290 (63.2%)	43 (9.4%)	86 (18.7%)	10 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.1%)	37.9	887^th of 1486 public elementary schools	40.3%		37.2	892^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	39.3%	5	42.5	47.2	34.7	54.1	34.7	12.2	25.7	5.4	$14,675	$2,282	$12,393

Independence Elementary School

Independence Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Clarkston Community School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary School

Enrollment information for Independence Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Elementary School