Enrollment
960
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Challenger Middle
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063432009189
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.7:1
- large classes for California
- 32.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Middle has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle ranks #6 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432009189 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Middle
Challenger Middle is a large middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 960 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.7:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 960 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 897 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #304.
Its student body is led by Asian (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Challenger Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.7:1 vs 24.6:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Challenger Middle.
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 Middle compares
Challenger Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.5% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 960 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
960
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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
Asian 47.4%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
White 15.4%
Two or More 14.4%
African American 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Challenger Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Diego Unified, which includes Challenger Middle.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in San Diego
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Oak Valley Middle
Standard public school
1,503 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Heights Middle
Standard public school
1,487 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Marshall Middle
Standard public school
1,390 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Mesa Verde Middle
Standard public school
1,178 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Black Mountain Middle
Standard public school
1,077 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Lewis Middle
Standard public school
1,013 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~960 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Middle's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego Unified'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 Middle
How many students attend Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle has 960 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle is 26.7:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Middle?
32.5% of students at Challenger Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Middle?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Middle is Asian at 47.4% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle ranks #6 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in San Diego on the city page.
Is Challenger Middle a good school?
Challenger Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 San Diego Unified?
Besides Challenger Middle, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego Unified 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.