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What's the biggest difference between Independence Elementary School and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
446
Elementary
DISTRICT 428 · STATE 369
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CLARKSTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 260990001160
Independence Elementary School
6850 HUBBARD RD, CLARKSTON, MI 48348 · (248) 623-5500 · Oakland County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL446 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
30 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.9:1 · STATE 15.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
11%
51 students
DISTRICT 23% · STATE 55%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 89 | 20% |
| Grade 1 | 71 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 61 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 73 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 77 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 75 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (89) is 19% larger than its 5th grade class (75).
Student demographics
20%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 29% · STATE 56% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
M-STEP 2024-25 . % Advanced + ProficientEnglish Language Arts
66.2%
MI avg 47.7%
Math
64.4%
MI avg 44.8%
What this means: On the M-STEP, Michigan's statewide test, about 66 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 64 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Michigan schools, those numbers are about 48 and 45.
Source: M-STEP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
68.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
61.2%
based on MI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+7.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 69% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 61% typical for Michigan schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Michigan's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Independence Elementary School
Independence Elementary School's state test result (68.6% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Elementary School this school | 446 | 11.4% | 68.6% |
| Alward Elementary School HUDSONVILLE | 435 | 12.6% | 66.3% |
| Crestwood Elementary School ROCKFORD | 469 | 12.4% | 75.7% |
| Georgetown Elementary School HUDSONVILLE | 450 | 11.3% | 66.8% |
| Murray Lake Elementary LOWELL | 433 | 13.9% | 69.8% |
| Hartland Lakes Elementary School BRIGHTON | 457 | 11.6% | 66.3% |
Matched among Michigan elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Independence Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Oakland County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 68.6% | #82 of 1,085 | #15 of 147 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 64.4% | #159 of 1,072 | #41 of 144 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 66.2% | #136 of 1,139 | #34 of 157 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 446 | #452 of 1,630 | #67 of 178 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.9:1 | #473 of 1,424 | #66 of 170 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 20.4% | #1,089 of 1,424 | #155 of 170 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 11.4% | #1,499 of 1,563 | #143 of 175 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -6.5% | #723 of 979 | #87 of 118 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
446
+97 (+28%) vs 2020
-26% since 2000-01, when it was 602
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
was 13.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 446 | 29.8 | 14.9:1 | 11% (51) |
| 2023-24 | 457 | 32 | 14.3:1 | 12% (55) |
| 2022-23 | 439 | 35.8 | 12.3:1 | 14% (61) |
| 2020-21 | 349 | 26 | 13.4:1 | 9% (31) |
| 2017-18 | 477 | 26.9 | 17.7:1 | 9% (42) |
| 2015-16 | 481 | 27 | 17.8:1 | 8% (38) |
| 2010-11 | 518 | 24 | 21.6:1 | 9% (47) |
| 2000-01 | 602 | 30 | 20.1:1 | 2% (12) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independence Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (477 to 446); teachers up 11% (26.9 to 29.8).
About Independence Elementary School
Independence Elementary School is a medium-sized elementary school in Clarkston Community School District, located in CLARKSTON, Michigan. It enrolled 446 students in pre-K through 5 for the 2024-25 school year. Enrollment is 21% higher than the average for elementary schools in Michigan, which is about 369.
The district, Clarkston Community School District, operates 13 schools serving 6,670 students.
At Independence Elementary School, White students make up 89% of the student body. The school is also 5% Hispanic and 3% multiracial. The White share of the county population is lower, at 69%. The chance that two students picked at random at Independence Elementary School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 20%.
Teachers at the school number 29.8 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 14.9:1. The 15.8:1 average for elementary schools in Michigan is higher than this school's figure. Roughly 11% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Oakland County average 32%.
Independence Elementary School sits between the top and bottom 10% of Michigan schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 68.6% and a predicted 61.2%.
Among Oakland County residents, median household income is about $97,760, about 51% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 5% of residents are in poverty. Independence Elementary School is one of 345 public schools in Oakland County, which together enroll about 169,926 students.
The closest public school to Independence Elementary School is Springfield Plains Elem School, about 1.9 miles away. Within five miles of Independence Elementary School, there are at least 8 other public schools. In a group of 6 nearby schools with scores, Independence Elementary School ranks 1st on average proficiency.
Federal data place Independence Elementary School in the Rural: Fringe locale, which means it is in rural territory close to an urban area.
Enrollment was 349 in 2020-21 and 446 in 2024-25, a increase of 97 students. Federal data show the ratio rising from 13.4:1 to 14.9:1.
Discussion on this page can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Oakland County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,279,825
Census ACS
Median income
$97,760
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
51%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
345
169,926 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Clarkston Community School District
- Clarkston High SchoolHigh · 1,552 students
- Clarkston Junior High SchoolHigh · 1,007 students
- Sashabaw Middle SchoolMiddle · 933 students
- Bailey Lake Elementary SchoolElementary · 522 students
- Springfield Plains Elem SchoolElementary · 495 students
- Pine Knob Elementary SchoolElementary · 487 students
Other schools in CLARKSTON
- Clarkston High SchoolHigh · 1,552 students
- Clarkston Junior High SchoolHigh · 1,007 students
- Sashabaw Middle SchoolMiddle · 933 students
- Bailey Lake Elementary SchoolElementary · 522 students
- Springfield Plains Elem SchoolElementary · 495 students
- Pine Knob Elementary SchoolElementary · 487 students
Other Independence Elementary schools
17 other US public schools in 15 states are named Independence Elementary. Independence Elementary School is the 11th largest of the 18.
- INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARYWINTER GARDEN, FL · 889 students
- Independence Elementary SchoolLEWISVILLE, TX · 830 students
- INDEPENDENCE ELEM.ST CHARLES, MO · 762 students
- INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARYBIG LAKE, MN · 758 students
- Independence ElementaryBakersfield, CA · 709 students
Nearby schools
- Springfield Plains Elem School1.9 mi · 495
- Renaissance Virtual School2.1 mi · 63
- Renaissance Alternative High School2.1 mi · 116
- Clarkston Elementary School2.2 mi · 416
- Clarkston High School2.2 mi · 1,552
- Clarkston Junior High School2.5 mi · 1,007
Frequently asked questions
About Independence Elementary SchoolHow large is Independence Elementary School?
Independence Elementary School enrolls approximately 446 students in grades PK-05.
Is Independence Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Independence Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary School is approximately 14.9:1 (30 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Independence Elementary School?
Student demographics at Independence Elementary School are roughly 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Is Independence Elementary School public or private?
Independence Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Clarkston Community School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.