Enrollment
465
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Howell, MI
Challenger Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 261872000042
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Elementary School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #11 of 12
- public schools in Howell · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Howell, MI.
School address
District: Howell Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261872000042 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Elementary School
Challenger Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Howell, Michigan, enrolling 465 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 465 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 612 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #558, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students) and Parker Middle School (1,011 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.9% | ▼ 43% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
465
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Michigan - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.2%
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
$11,672
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 465 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
White 92.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 92.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.5, Challenger Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howell Public Schools, which includes Challenger Elementary School.
$11,672
Per student
-14%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.1%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.1%
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 Challenger Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highlander Way Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Three Fires Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~465 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Howell 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 School
How many students attend Challenger Elementary School?
Challenger Elementary School has 465 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Howell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 6% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Elementary School?
30.9% of students at Challenger Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Elementary School is White at 92.9% of enrollment, in Howell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Elementary School?
Challenger Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower 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 Challenger Elementary School rank among public schools in Howell?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Howell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Howell on the city page.
Is Challenger Elementary School a good school?
Challenger Elementary School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Howell Public Schools?
Besides Challenger Elementary School, Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students), Parker Middle School (1,011 students), and Highlander Way Middle School (789 students). See the Howell 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.