Enrollment
278
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · White Lake, MI
Houghton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Houghton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263531007128
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houghton Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in White Lake · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 49.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Houghton Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in White Lake, MI.
School address
District: Waterford School District · Michigan
NCES ID 263531007128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houghton Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houghton Elementary School
Houghton Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in White Lake, Michigan, enrolling 278 students.
At 16.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.8% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 278 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 565 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #415, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 51/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among White Lake's public schools, it stands alongside Harbor High School (133 students): Houghton Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students) and Waterford Kettering High School (909 students) alongside Houghton Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Houghton Elementary School compares
Houghton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.8% | ▼ 8% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 46% in Michigan - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,819
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 68.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
African American 9.4%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 68.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Houghton Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterford School District, which includes Houghton Elementary School.
$15,819
Per student
+17%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 52.2%
Federal 9.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Houghton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford Mott High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waterford Kettering High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pierce Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mason Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grayson Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houghton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 909
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in White Lake
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~278 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houghton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Houghton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterford School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Houghton Elementary School
How many students attend Houghton Elementary School?
Houghton Elementary School has 278 students enrolled. It is a public school in White Lake, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houghton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houghton Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houghton Elementary School?
49.8% of students at Houghton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houghton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Houghton Elementary School is White at 68.0% of enrollment, in White Lake, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houghton Elementary School?
Houghton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Houghton Elementary School rank among schools in White Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in White Lake, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in White Lake on the city page.
Is Houghton Elementary School a good school?
Houghton Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Waterford School District?
Besides Houghton Elementary School, Waterford School District also operates Waterford Mott High School (963 students), Waterford Kettering High School (909 students), and Pierce Middle School (733 students). See the Waterford School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.