Houghton Elementary School

Summary:

Houghton Elementary School is a public elementary school located in White Lake, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 227. The school is part of the Waterford School District, which is ranked 378 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Houghton Elementary School has a higher percentage of White students (77.09%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.8% in 2018-2019 to 42.1% in 2020-2021, which is much higher than the state average. Academically, Houghton Elementary School's performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is generally lower than the Waterford School District and the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 28.6%, compared to the district's 38.6% and the state's 39.6%. The school has also seen a significant increase in spending per student, from $12,857 in 2019-2020 to $21,454 in 2022-2023, which is higher than the surrounding schools.

Houghton Elementary School's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, from 452 out of 1,448 Michigan elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 908 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024, indicating a relative decline in performance compared to other schools in the state. The school's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups, with the ranking for female students generally higher than for male students, and the ranking for White students lower than the overall school ranking. Compared to nearby schools, Houghton Elementary School's performance is generally lower than the Knudsen, Riverside, and Haviland Elementary Schools, which are also part of the Waterford School District. However, it performs better than the Oxbow Elementary School in the Huron Valley Schools district. The Waterford Montessori Academy, a public charter school located near Houghton Elementary, has consistently outperformed Houghton on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Math.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 8080 Elizabeth Lake Rd
       White Lake, MI  48386-3410


(248) 698-9230

District: Waterford School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
908th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $21,454 Help


Students who attend Houghton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Pierce Middle School
High:    Waterford Kettering High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.8 Help
Number of students:  258

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.7%
Hispanic:
11.2%
African American:
8.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  55.4% Help


 See top rated Michigan elementary schools

 Compare Houghton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Houghton Elementary School ranks worse than 61.1% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 6th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Waterford School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.72. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.7%), Hispanic (11.2%), African American (8.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 55.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Houghton Elementary School is 13.8, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Waterford School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Houghton Elementary School employs 18.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Houghton Elementary School is $21,454, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Waterford School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Houghton Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Houghton Elementary School 908th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Houghton 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:


Waterford School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterford School District 378th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Houghton Elementary School?

Rank History for Houghton Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Houghton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 61.95 670th 1545 56.6%
2007 64.81 594th 1565 62.0%
2008 69.39 518th 1577 67.2%
2009 70.29 503rd 1589 68.3%
2010 68.18 592nd 1552 61.9%
2011 53.69 928th 1552 40.2%
2012 45.99 933rd 1566 40.4%
2013 38.68 1048th 1563 32.9%
2014 24.15 1237th 1533 19.3%
2015 34.18 1097th 1580 30.6%
2016 39.54 962nd 1548 37.9%
2017 57.58 548th 1466 62.6%
2018 69.21 452nd 1448 68.8%
2019 52.87 620th 1408 56.0%
2021 26.85 861st 1153 25.3%
2022 32.43 883rd 1344 34.3%
2023 36.10 904th 1470 38.5%
2024 36.72 908th 1486 38.9%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Houghton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.65 181st 403 55.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.49 260th 1397 81.4%
2019 65.01 312th 1134 72.5%
2022 48.59 530th 1099 51.8%
2023 39.98 801st 1350 40.7%
2024 44.06 736th 1381 46.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Houghton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.19 351st 1443 75.7%
2019 56.25 482nd 1171 58.8%
2021 36.91 580th 902 35.7%
2022 36.84 692nd 1106 37.4%
2023 35.24 837th 1321 36.6%
2024 37.81 803rd 1342 40.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Houghton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.75 608th 1446 58.0%
2019 37.14 765th 1196 36.0%
2022 25.08 863rd 1139 24.2%
2023 33.56 873rd 1334 34.6%
2024 26.80 974th 1347 27.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Houghton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.25 462nd 1253 63.1%
2019 47.10 591st 1128 47.6%
2021 26.81 772nd 1005 23.2%
2022 22.42 897th 1102 18.6%
2023 25.90 924th 1198 22.9%
2024 26.91 912th 1204 24.3%
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.

Houghton Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

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100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 31, 2012

Open Quote 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



Enrollment information for Houghton Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 249 1 5 1 3 n/a n/a 0 259
1989 232 0 9 10 1 n/a n/a 0 252
1990 235 2 8 1 4 n/a n/a 0 250
1991 234 1 9 0 1 n/a n/a 0 245
1992 230 2 8 0 1 n/a n/a 0 241
1993 244 2 8 0 0 n/a n/a 0 254
1994 248 3 6 0 0 n/a n/a 0 257
1995 358 3 5 3 0 n/a n/a 0 369
1996 358 3 5 3 0 n/a n/a 0 369
1997 357 3 6 2 0 n/a n/a 0 368
1998 373 2 7 5 0 n/a n/a 0 387
1999 381 2 5 7 0 n/a n/a 0 395
2000 388 4 5 9 0 n/a n/a 0 406
2001 377 7 5 9 0 n/a n/a 0 398
2002 395 4 5 7 0 n/a n/a 0 411
2003 395 4 5 7 0 n/a n/a 0 411
2004 381 11 4 9 0 n/a n/a 0 405
2005 364 11 4 10 0 n/a n/a 0 389
2006 359 16 3 10 2 n/a n/a 0 390
2007 368 11 4 15 1 n/a n/a 0 399
2008 340 11 8 15 1 n/a n/a 0 375
2009 355 17 7 17 2 n/a n/a 0 398
2010 348 18 8 20 2 n/a n/a 0 396
2011 375 22 7 22 3 0 0 0 429
2012 350 39 8 31 3 0 0 0 431
2013 336 34 10 31 3 0 3 0 417
2014 312 29 9 28 4 2 5 0 389
2015 279 25 6 31 0 1 7 0 349
2016 239 29 10 33 0 1 9 0 321
2017 235 22 7 30 1 2 13 0 310
2018 228 19 12 30 1 1 11 0 302
2019 208 13 14 23 1 0 11 0 270
2020 211 13 14 19 1 0 8 0 266
2021 191 13 13 22 1 0 9 0 249
2022 198 13 8 19 3 0 15 0 256
2023 175 12 9 14 3 0 14 0 227
2024 185 23 4 29 6 0 11 0 258

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 Houghton Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 259 n/a n/a n/a
1989 252 n/a n/a 9.5
1990 250 17.0 14.7 8.4
1991 245 n/a n/a n/a
1992 241 n/a n/a 14.5
1993 254 n/a 0.0 18.5
1994 257 10.6 24.2 10.1
1995 369 13.5 27.3 11.4
1996 369 13.5 27.3 11.4
1997 368 15.0 24.5 16.6
1998 387 16.0 24.2 9
1999 395 16.0 24.7 9.4
2000 406 16.5 24.6 10.3
2001 398 16.9 23.6 10.3
2002 411 6.0 68.5 15.1
2003 411 6.0 68.5 15.1
2004 405 13.0 31.2 20.2
2005 389 17.3 22.5 16.2
2006 390 17.0 22.9 18.7
2007 399 21.5 18.6 18.5
2008 375 20.0 18.8 21.6
2009 398 20.0 19.9 25.1
2010 396 20.4 19.3 35.4
2011 429 26.9 15.9 39.6
2012 431 23.4 18.4 51.3
2013 417 24.0 17.3 56.6
2014 389 26.9 14.4 48.8
2015 349 26.0 13.4 54.2
2016 321 22.0 14.5 55.5
2017 310 23.1 13.4 54.5
2018 302 19.8 15.2 61.6
2019 270 19.6 13.7 60.4
2020 266 20.0 13.2 61.3
2021 249 16.8 14.8 53
2022 256 19.5 13.1 57
2023 227 17.0 13.3 57.3
2024 258 18.5 13.8 55.4

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 Houghton Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 259 n/a n/a n/a
1989 252 n/a n/a 9.5
1990 250 17.0 14.7 8.4
1991 245 n/a n/a n/a
1992 241 n/a n/a 14.5
1993 254 n/a 0.0 18.5
1994 257 10.6 24.2 10.1
1995 369 13.5 27.3 11.4
1996 369 13.5 27.3 11.4
1997 368 15.0 24.5 16.6
1998 387 16.0 24.2 9
1999 395 16.0 24.7 9.4
2000 406 16.5 24.6 10.3
2001 398 16.9 23.6 10.3
2002 411 6.0 68.5 15.1
2003 411 6.0 68.5 15.1
2004 405 13.0 31.2 20.2
2005 389 17.3 22.5 16.2
2006 390 17.0 22.9 18.7
2007 399 21.5 18.6 18.5
2008 375 20.0 18.8 21.6
2009 398 20.0 19.9 25.1
2010 396 20.4 19.3 35.4
2011 429 26.9 15.9 39.6
2012 431 23.4 18.4 51.3
2013 417 24.0 17.3 56.6
2014 389 26.9 14.4 48.8
2015 349 26.0 13.4 54.2
2016 321 22.0 14.5 55.5
2017 310 23.1 13.4 54.5
2018 302 19.8 15.2 61.6
2019 270 19.6 13.7 60.4
2020 266 20.0 13.2 61.3
2021 249 16.8 14.8 53
2022 256 19.5 13.1 57
2023 227 17.0 13.3 57.3
2024 258 18.5 13.8 55.4

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 Houghton Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,377 (10.2%) $12,184 (89.8%) $13,561
2020 $1,259 (9.8%) $11,597 (90.2%) $12,856
2021 $1,859 (13.0%) $12,442 (87.0%) $14,301
2022 $2,034 (12.5%) $14,292 (87.5%) $16,327
2023 $3,085 (14.4%) $18,369 (85.6%) $21,454

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Houghton 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 620th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 904th of 1470 Elementary schools
 17.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Houghton Elementary School)41.943.3
 1.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterford School District)44.838.6
 6.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Houghton Elementary School)34.924.1
 10.8%
   3rd Grade Math (Waterford School District)37.134.8
 2.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Houghton Elementary School)45.228.6
 16.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterford School District)50.943.9
 7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Houghton Elementary School)42.922.9
 20%
   4th Grade Math (Waterford School District)44.237.9
 6.3%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Houghton Elementary School)58.141.7
 16.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterford School District)41.946
 4.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Houghton Elementary School)48.836.1
 12.7%
   5th Grade Math (Waterford School District)28.326.7
 1.6%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Houghton Elementary School)25.68.3
 17.3%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Waterford School District)15.114.9
 0.2%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students270227
 15.9%
African American1312
 7.7%
American Indian13
 200%
Asian149
 35.7%
Hispanic2314
 39.1%
Pacific Islander00
White208175
 15.9%
Two or More Races1114
 27.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.4%57.3%
 3.1%


Schools Near Houghton Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Houghton Elementary School

Houghton Elementary School ranks 908th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Houghton Elementary School are 72% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% Asian.

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

Middle : Pierce Middle School
High : Waterford Kettering High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 258 students attended Houghton 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.





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