The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Donelson Hills Elementary School
Donelson Hills Elementary School sits on Wewoka Road in the northern half of Waterford, a charter township in Oakland County defined by its dozens of named lakes and its sprawling suburban layout. The school is one of several elementary buildings operated by the Waterford School District, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school, not a magnet or charter, and it draws from a working-class pocket of a township that, despite its Oakland County address, has felt the economic drag of two major commercial tax losses in the Summit Place Mall and a former General Motors facility, both now closed.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary building, and a very large share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is racially mixed, with Hispanic students forming the largest single group, followed closely by white students, then Black students, with a smaller portion identifying as two or more races. A few students are Asian or American Indian and Alaska Native. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those population shares remain unknown here.
On state testing, Donelson Hills posts results that sit below the midpoint among Oakland County districts. In math, third grade proficiency is on the lower side, fourth grade rises somewhat, and fifth grade dips back down. English language arts follows a similar arc, with third grade showing the weakest result, fourth grade jumping to a healthier level, and fifth grade holding most of that gain. Fifth grade science and social studies results are both on the lower end, social studies especially so. The pattern across subjects suggests the school is doing its strongest work in the middle elementary years, with the earliest and latest tested grades proving more of a struggle. A parent considering this school may want to ask how the building supports literacy in the primary grades and whether intervention resources are concentrated where the need is sharpest.
No graduation rate, chronic absenteeism figure, or discipline data was reported for this school, which is typical for an elementary building. The state does not calculate a four-year graduation rate for a school that does not serve high school grades, and the absence of those measures reflects the grade band rather than a gap in reporting.
The surrounding community is residential and low-density, built around lakes and strip corridors along Dixie Highway and M-59. Waterford lacks a traditional walkable downtown, and sidewalk infrastructure is incomplete in many neighborhoods. Civic life centers on the Civic Center Complex on Civic Center Drive, which houses Township Hall, the police station, the district court, and the public library. Oakland Community College's Highland Lakes Campus and the Oakland Schools intermediate district headquarters are also in the township, along with the Oakland County International Airport. The housing market in the school's zip code is affordable by Oakland County standards, with typical home values well below the county's median listing price and rents that are modest for the region. Homes in this area tend to move quickly, with median days on market running about a month. For a family renting or buying on a tighter budget, this part of Waterford offers one of the more accessible entry points into the county's school system.
The Waterford School District itself is in a period of contraction and reinvestment. Enrollment has declined over roughly two decades, and the school board voted in June 2025 to close Kettering High School and consolidate its students into Mott and Durant beginning in the 2026-2027 year, a move expected to save the district money and redistrict high school boundaries. At the same time, voters have twice approved bond proposals, one in late 2022 and another in spring 2024, funding roof repairs, parking lot and sidewalk work, school safety upgrades, technology, athletic facilities, and STEM lab conversions without raising the tax rate. For families at Donelson Hills, the bond-funded improvements could eventually touch the building, though the specific allocation to each elementary site was not detailed in the information available.
What this school offers is a small, diverse elementary environment in an affordable corner of a township coping with economic transition. Its academic results are mixed and lean below county norms, strongest in the middle grades and weakest at the tested endpoints. Families whose children would attend here should weigh the community's affordability and diversity against the test results and ask the school directly about its early-grade literacy strategy and any supports coming through the district's recent bond-funded upgrades.
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