Enrollment
380
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Nogales, AZ
Challenger Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040553001310
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in Nogales · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 75.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Nogales, AZ.
School address
District: Nogales Unified District (4457) · Arizona
NCES ID 040553001310 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Elementary School
Challenger Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Nogales, Arizona, enrolling 380 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 75.9% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 380 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 265 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #80.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Nogales Unified District (4457) spends $9,608 per pupil, 27% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students) and Desert Shadows Middle School (784 students) alongside Challenger Elementary 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 Challenger Elementary School compares
Challenger Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.9% | ▲ 57% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 32% in Arizona - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.2%
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
$9,608
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 99.7%
White 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.6, Challenger Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nogales Unified District (4457), which includes Challenger Elementary School.
$9,608
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.7%
State 56.8%
Federal 27.5%
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 Challenger Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Shadows Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wade Carpenter Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Nogales Unified District (4457)'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 School
How many students attend Challenger Elementary School?
Challenger Elementary School has 380 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Nogales, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Elementary School?
75.9% of students at Challenger Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 99.7% of enrollment, in Nogales, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Elementary School?
Challenger Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 School rank among elementary schools in Nogales?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Nogales, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Nogales on the city page.
Is Challenger Elementary School a good school?
Challenger Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona 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 Nogales Unified District (4457)?
Besides Challenger Elementary School, Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students), Desert Shadows Middle School (784 students), and Wade Carpenter Middle School (547 students). See the Nogales Unified District (4457) 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.