Enrollment
403
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lancaster, CA
Challenger Middle
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064281009208
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #14 of 28
- elementary schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 92.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle ranks #14 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Wilsona Elementary · California
NCES ID 064281009208 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+66% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 403 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.0% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 403 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,108 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #898, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 82 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 403 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lancaster's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sundown Elementary (941 students): Challenger Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 29.4:1).
Its district, Wilsona Elementary, also runs Vista San Gabriel Elementary (465 students).
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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.0% | ▲ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the California average of 55.5%
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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.6%
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
$18,067
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.3 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 82.9%
White 7.9%
African American 6.5%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Challenger Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilsona Elementary, which includes Challenger Middle.
$18,067
Per student
+9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 69.3%
Federal 15.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista San Gabriel Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Lancaster
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sundown Elementary
Standard public school
941 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Ilead Lancaster Charter
Standard public school
771 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
El Dorado Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Senior Elementary
Standard public school
763 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
West Wind Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 29.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~403 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Middle's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wilsona Elementary'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 403 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Middle?
92.0% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 82.9% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Middle rank among elementary schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle ranks #14 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Challenger Middle a good school?
Challenger Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of 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 Wilsona Elementary?
Besides Challenger Middle, Wilsona Elementary also operates Vista San Gabriel Elementary (465 students). See the Wilsona Elementary 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.