Enrollment
413
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Rapids, MI
Challenger Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262034007682
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #13 of 24
- elementary schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 73.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary ranks #13 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Kentwood Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262034007682 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Elementary
Challenger Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 413 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 413 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 491 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #150.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside River City Scholars Charter Academy (286 students): Challenger Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 10.2:1).
Kentwood Public Schools also operates East Kentwood High School (2,068 students) and Pinewood Middle School (842 students) alongside Challenger Elementary.
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 Challenger Elementary compares
Challenger Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.9% | ▲ 36% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Michigan - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$13,199
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
African American 45.0%
White 16.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Asian 13.6%
Two or More 9.9%
Largest group: African American at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Challenger Elementary is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kentwood Public Schools, which includes Challenger Elementary.
$13,199
Per student
-2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.0%
State 50.9%
Federal 15.0%
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 Challenger Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Kentwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pinewood Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Kentwood Freshman Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crestwood Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 742
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~413 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kentwood Public Schools'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 Challenger Elementary
How many students attend Challenger Elementary?
Challenger Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary is 18:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Elementary?
73.9% of students at Challenger Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Elementary is African American at 45.0% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Elementary?
Challenger Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challenger Elementary rank among elementary schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary ranks #13 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Challenger Elementary a good school?
Challenger Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Kentwood Public Schools?
Besides Challenger Elementary, Kentwood Public Schools also operates East Kentwood High School (2,068 students), Pinewood Middle School (842 students), and East Kentwood Freshman Campus (742 students). See the Kentwood Public Schools 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.