Enrollment
696
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Colorado Springs, CO
Challenger Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080192000001
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado schools.
- #15 of 25
- middle schools in Colorado Springs · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 5.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Middle School has class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #15 of 25 middle schools in Colorado Springs, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080192000001 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Middle School
Challenger Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, enrolling 696 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.1% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 696 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #82.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an spends $10,954 per pupil, 33% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an also operates The Classical Academy Charter (1,909 students) and Pine Creek High School (1,875 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 Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.1% | ▼ 87% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 696 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
696
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 81% in Colorado - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$10,954
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 6.6%
African American 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 67.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Challenger Middle School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an, which includes Challenger Middle School.
$10,954
Per student
-33%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.7%
State 48.4%
Federal 6.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Classical Academy Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Air Academy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rampart High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,909
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,526
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~696 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an'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 696 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Colorado Springs, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School is 19.3:1, which is 16% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Middle School?
5.1% of students at Challenger Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Middle School is White at 67.2% of enrollment, in Colorado Springs, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Middle School?
Challenger Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Challenger Middle School rank among middle schools in Colorado Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Middle School ranks #15 of 25 middle schools in Colorado Springs, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Colorado Springs on the city page.
Is Challenger Middle School a good school?
Challenger Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado 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 Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an?
Besides Challenger Middle School, Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an also operates The Classical Academy Charter (1,909 students), Pine Creek High School (1,875 students), and Liberty High School (1,526 students). See the Academy School District No. 20 in the County of El Paso an district page for the complete list.
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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.