Enrollment
560
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, CO
Challenge School
Federal NCES profile for Challenge School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080291000763
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenge School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #100 of 125
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 7.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenge School has class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenge School ranks #100 of 125 schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080291000763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenge School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenge School
Challenge School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 560 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.8% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 560 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 301 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #277, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and Asian (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 560 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students) and Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students) alongside Challenge 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 Challenge School compares
Challenge School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.8% | ▼ 80% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 560 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
560
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Colorado - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 560 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 34.9%
Asian 31.8%
African American 14.0%
Two or More 12.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 34.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.8, Challenge School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, which includes Challenge School.
$14,137
Per student
-13%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 43.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Trail High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eaglecrest High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grandview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smoky Hill High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenge School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,852
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,851
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,684
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,297
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~560 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenge School's federal record.
- Compare Challenge School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah'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 School
How many students attend Challenge School?
Challenge School has 560 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenge School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenge School is 18.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenge School?
7.8% of students at Challenge School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenge School?
The largest demographic group at Challenge School is White at 34.9% of enrollment, in Denver, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenge School?
Challenge School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challenge School rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenge School ranks #100 of 125 schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Challenge School a good school?
Challenge School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado 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 Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah?
Besides Challenge School, Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students), Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students), and Eaglecrest High School (2,851 students). See the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah district page for the complete list.
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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.