The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 49% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Paint Creek Elementary School
Paint Creek Elementary School sits on Indianwood Road in Lake Orion, a village in northeast Oakland County that began as a resort town and has grown into a bedroom community within commuting range of Detroit. The village is small and centers on an all-sports lake with seasonal and year-round residences, a historic downtown along Broadway Street, and a compact commercial core. Publicly reported sources describe more than fifty miles of trails in the surrounding township, including the Paint Creek Trail, Polly Ann Trail, and Iron Belle Trail, plus nearby green space at Orion Oaks County Park and Bald Mountain Recreation Area. The community hosts events like Dragon On the Lake, Lake Orion Jubilee, and Sing and Stroll. The school's name echoes the trail and creek that run through the area, tying it to the local geography.
The school is part of Lake Orion Community Schools and serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Enrollment sits in the mid-500s, a comfortable size for an elementary building, with class sizes by grade that look fairly typical for the area. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population, a modest share of students identifying as two or more races, and very small Black and Asian populations. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is on the lower end for Oakland County and points to a community where most families are not facing acute economic pressure. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those who need specific information about special-population services should contact the district directly.
Academic results from the most recent M-STEP administration tell a generally strong story with one clear dip. Third graders performed well, with a large majority proficient in both math and English language arts. Fifth grade was also solid across the board, with strong showings in ELA, math, and science, though social studies was the weakest subject at roughly half the class proficient. Fourth grade stands out as the soft spot. Proficiency dropped notably in math compared to the grades above and below, and ELA was also lower than the neighboring grades. A parent may want to look into what happened with that cohort or that grade's instruction, since the pattern is clear enough to warrant a question. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Oakland County, which is a strong standing relative to its peers.
The school does not have a graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data because it is an elementary school, and those measures are not reported for this grade band. No program offerings, course access, staffing, or discipline data was provided, so the narrative cannot speak to enrichment, arts, or specialized instruction beyond what the state assessments capture. This is a gap a parent would want to fill by visiting or calling the school.
The housing market around Paint Creek reflects a community that is more affordable than some of its Oakland County neighbors but still requires a solid income. Typical home values in the school's zip code run below the county median listing price and below the national benchmark, which makes the area relatively accessible for Oakland County. Rents are moderate. The county market has seen inventory grow recently, with active listings up meaningfully year over year, and median listing prices easing slightly. Homes are still selling at a reasonable pace, with median days on market in the mid-thirties. The broader economic backdrop includes a thirty-year mortgage rate hovering in the mid-sixes and a national unemployment rate holding steady.
At the district level, Lake Orion Community Schools has made recent investments in its facilities. Blanche Sims Elementary was rebuilt and reopened in 2023, giving the district a newly constructed elementary building. The district also opened a dedicated Early Childhood Center in fall 2021 on Joslyn Road, expanding preschool options for families with young children. These changes affect school assignment and facility quality across the district, though Paint Creek itself is an existing building on Indianwood Road.
For a parent weighing Paint Creek, the picture is of a community-rooted elementary school in a lakeside village with strong overall test performance, a predominantly white and middle-income student body, and a fourth-grade proficiency dip that deserves a closer look. The setting offers trails, lake access, and a walkable downtown core in the village, with the surrounding township more car-dependent. Housing is attainable by Oakland County standards. The academic standing is high relative to county peers, and the district appears to be investing in its buildings. What the data cannot tell you is anything about classroom culture, arts and specials, special education services, or how the school communicates with families, and those are the conversations worth having before deciding.
See more original research from School Decision →