Enrollment
52
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waco, TX
Challenge Academy
Federal NCES profile for Challenge Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 484428007397
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 90
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenge Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Texas schools.
- #13 of 32
- schools in Waco · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Texas
- 88.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenge Academy has class sizes larger than 82% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenge Academy ranks #13 of 32 schools in Waco, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenge Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenge Academy
Challenge Academy is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Waco, Texas, enrolling 52 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Texas schools, with 52 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 85 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #52.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (42%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 52 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 84.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students) and University H S (1,752 students) alongside Challenge Academy.
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 Challenge Academy compares
Challenge Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.0% | ▲ 42% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 52 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
52
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in Texas - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
84.6%
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
$13,294
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 52 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 51.9%
African American 42.3%
White 5.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Challenge Academy is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waco Isd, which includes Challenge Academy.
$13,294
Per student
-3%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 33.9%
Federal 19.5%
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 Challenge Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| University H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tennyson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bell's Hill El | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenge Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~52 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenge Academy's federal record.
- Compare Challenge Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Waco Isd'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 Challenge Academy
How many students attend Challenge Academy?
Challenge Academy has 52 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Waco, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenge Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenge Academy is 17.3:1, which is 18% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenge Academy?
88.0% of students at Challenge Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenge Academy?
The largest demographic group at Challenge Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment, in Waco, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenge Academy?
Challenge Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Challenge Academy rank among schools in Waco?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenge Academy ranks #13 of 32 schools in Waco, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waco on the city page.
Is Challenge Academy a good school?
Challenge Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Texas 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 Waco Isd?
Besides Challenge Academy, Waco Isd also operates Waco H S (1,885 students), University H S (1,752 students), and Tennyson Middle (963 students). See the Waco Isd 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.