Enrollment
425
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Huntsville, AL
Challenger Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010180001774
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #3 of 11
- middle schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 41.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #3 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180001774 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Middle School
Challenger Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 425 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 425 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 265 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 425 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Huntsville's middle schools, it stands alongside Monrovia Middle School (988 students): Challenger Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 19.8:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Challenger Middle 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 Middle School compares
Challenger Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.1% | ▼ 30% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 425 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
425
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 32% in Alabama - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,033
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 425 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 51.5%
African American 22.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 3.3%
Largest group: White at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Challenger Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Challenger Middle School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in Huntsville
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Monrovia Middle School
Standard public school
988 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Williams Middle School
Standard public school
659 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Whitesburg Middle School
Standard public school
535 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Huntsville Junior High School
Standard public school
530 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Morris Middle School
Standard public school
397 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Ronald Mcnair 78
Standard public school
390 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~425 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville City'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 School
How many students attend Challenger Middle School?
Challenger Middle School has 425 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School is 16.3:1, which is 8% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 School?
41.1% of students at Challenger Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Middle School is White at 51.5% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Middle School?
Challenger Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 School rank among middle schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #3 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Challenger Middle School a good school?
Challenger Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Challenger Middle School, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville City 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.