Enrollment
318
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Spanaway, WA
Challenger High School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530048002200
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #14 of 14
- public schools in Spanaway · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger High School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger High School ranks #14 of 14 public schools in Spanaway, WA.
School address
District: Bethel School District · Washington
NCES ID 530048002200 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger High School
Challenger High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Spanaway, Washington, enrolling 318 students.
At 16.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 318 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 354 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #291, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Bethel School District spends $15,195 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Spanaway's public schools, it stands alongside Bethel Hope Early Learning Center (163 students): Challenger High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 23.3:1).
Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students) and Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students) alongside Challenger High 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 High School compares
Challenger High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.6% | ▲ 28% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 318 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
318
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 53% in Washington - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.7%
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
$15,195
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 50.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
Two or More 16.6%
African American 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Challenger High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethel School District, which includes Challenger High School.
$15,195
Per student
-22%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 66.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Kapowsin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bethel High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanaway Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,688
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Spanaway
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~318 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger High School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bethel 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 High School
How many students attend Challenger High School?
Challenger High School has 318 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Spanaway, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger High School is 16.7:1, which is 5% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% higher 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 High School?
57.6% of students at Challenger High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger High School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger High School is White at 50.0% of enrollment, in Spanaway, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger High School?
Challenger High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challenger High School rank among public schools in Spanaway?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger High School ranks #14 of 14 public schools in Spanaway, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Spanaway on the city page.
Is Challenger High School a good school?
Challenger High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Bethel School District?
Besides Challenger High School, Bethel School District also operates Graham Kapowsin High School (2,087 students), Spanaway Lake High School (1,787 students), and Bethel High School (1,688 students). See the Bethel 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.