Clarkston Community Schools Calendar 2026-2027

Clarkston Community Schools uses one of the most distinctive grade configurations in the Detroit suburbs. Seven elementary schools serve kindergarten through grade 5. Students then move to a grades 6–7 middle school, continue to Clarkston Junior High School for grades 8–9, and enter Clarkston High School for grades 10–12. Early childhood services and several secondary alternatives sit alongside that main sequence.

The grades 6–7 arrangement reflects the district’s “Keep Kids Younger, Longer” philosophy. Sixth-graders do not immediately enter a large three-year middle school, and ninth-graders remain in a junior-high environment before moving to the comprehensive high school. Each transition creates a gradual increase in independence, campus size, and course choice.

Renaissance High School serves grades 9–12 students who need a smaller alternative to the traditional high-school setting. Students follow Clarkston High School graduation requirements and work toward a Clarkston High diploma while receiving closer support and retaining access to selected district activities and technical study. Clarkston Virtual changes the delivery format: students can work from home at a flexible, self-paced schedule with courses supported by Clarkston teacher mentors.

Families moving into Clarkston need to pay close attention to grade bands because the building names do not follow the common K–5, 6–8, 9–12 pattern. They should also distinguish the assigned developmental sequence from Renaissance placement and virtual enrollment. The district’s structure combines carefully timed school transitions with two different ways to reshape the high-school experience.