Enrollment
658
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Everett, WA
Challenger Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530543002128
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Washington schools.
- #12 of 19
- schools in Everett · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- small classes for Washington
- 65.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary ranks #12 of 19 schools in Everett, WA.
School address
District: Mukilteo School District · Washington
NCES ID 530543002128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Elementary
Challenger Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Everett, Washington, enrolling 658 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 658 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 329 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #238, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (29%) (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1316 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Everett's public schools, it stands alongside Penny Creek Elementary (791 students): Challenger Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 19.3:1).
Mukilteo School District also operates Kamiak High School (2,384 students) and Mariner High School (2,106 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.0% | ▲ 44% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 16% | - | - |
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.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 29% in Washington - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$19,467
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 40.9%
White 28.6%
Asian 10.4%
African American 9.6%
Two or More 5.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Challenger Elementary is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mukilteo School District, which includes Challenger Elementary.
$19,467
Per student
0%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 64.2%
Federal 11.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamiak High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mariner High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Voyager Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olympic View Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harbour Pointe Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 2,384
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Everett
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Penny Creek Elementary
Standard public school
791 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Emerson Elementary School
Standard public school
662 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Forest View Elementary School
Standard public school
634 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Silver Lake Elementary
Standard public school
550 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Silver Firs Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Lowell Elementary
Standard public school
531 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~658 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Mukilteo School District'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 658 students enrolled. It is a public school in Everett, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 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?
65.0% of students at Challenger Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 40.9% of enrollment, in Everett, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Elementary?
Challenger Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Challenger Elementary rank among schools in Everett?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Elementary ranks #12 of 19 schools in Everett, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Everett on the city page.
Is Challenger Elementary a good school?
Challenger Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Washington 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 Mukilteo School District?
Besides Challenger Elementary, Mukilteo School District also operates Kamiak High School (2,384 students), Mariner High School (2,106 students), and Voyager Middle School (902 students). See the Mukilteo School District 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.