Enrollment
726
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sterling, IL
Challand Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Challand Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 174231004264
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challand Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 726
- students enrolled
Challand Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challand Middle School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL.
School address
District: Sterling Cusd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 174231004264 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challand Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challand Middle School
Challand Middle School is a large middle school in Sterling, Illinois, enrolling 726 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 726 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sterling Cusd 5 spends $13,182 per pupil, 23% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students) and Jefferson Elem School (450 students) alongside Challand Middle 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 Challand Middle School compares
Challand Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▲ 15% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 726 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
726
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 80% in Illinois - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,182
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 54.9%
Hispanic or Latino 36.0%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Challand Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sterling Cusd 5, which includes Challand Middle School.
$13,182
Per student
-23%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 42.1%
Federal 13.3%
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 Challand Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challand Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~726 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challand Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Challand Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sterling Cusd 5'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 Challand Middle School
How many students attend Challand Middle School?
Challand Middle School has 726 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sterling, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challand Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challand Middle School is 16.1:1, which is 15% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challand Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Challand Middle School is White at 54.9% of enrollment, in Sterling, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challand Middle School?
Challand Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challand Middle School rank among public schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Challand Middle School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Challand Middle School a good school?
Challand Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois schools. 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 Sterling Cusd 5?
Besides Challand Middle School, Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students), Jefferson Elem School (450 students), and Franklin Elem School (407 students). See the Sterling Cusd 5 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.