Houghton Elementary School

Houghton Elementary School, a modestly sized elementary-level community in WHITE LAKE, Michigan, part of Waterford School District, enrolls 278 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Michigan's public schools average about 369 students each, so Houghton Elementary School sits 25% below that benchmark.

Houghton Elementary School is one of 17 schools operated by Waterford School District, a district that works with 6,641 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Houghton Elementary School logs that 68% of the student body identifies as White; the rest looks like 13% Hispanic, 9% Black, 6% multiracial. Compared to Oakland County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.3:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.8:1 average. Roughly 58% of students at Houghton Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Oakland County's rate of about 32%.

After controlling for student poverty, Houghton Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 40.5%; this one delivers 41.4%.

Across the wider county, Oakland County reports that the typical household earns roughly $97,760 per year, about 51% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Oakland County runs 345 public schools (combined enrollment of about 169,926 students), of which Houghton Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Dublin Elementary, around 1.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Houghton Elementary School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 45.5%.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Houghton Elementary School has edged down 8%, going from 302 students in 2018 to 278 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 76% to 68% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.