Challenger Elementary School

Summary:

Challenger Elementary School is a public elementary school in Huntsville, Alabama, serving 503 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Huntsville City School District, which is ranked 83 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Challenger Elementary stands out for its diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 53.08% White, 19.48% African American, 16.7% Hispanic, and 1.59% Asian. This diversity is higher than nearby schools like Hampton Cove Elementary (80.41% White) and Jones Valley Elementary (60.31% White). Academically, Challenger's 5th-grade English proficiency (76.47%) is significantly higher than the Huntsville City (62.88%) and state (63.07%) averages, but its 3rd-grade math proficiency (37.84%) is lower than the state average (42.16%).

Despite its strengths, Challenger Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, from a high of 30 out of 691 Alabama elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 351 out of 684 in 2023-2024. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 61 out of 196 Alabama elementary schools, while its African American students rank 381 out of 420. Additionally, Challenger's academic performance is generally lower than that of some nearby high-performing schools, such as Mountain Gap Elementary. The school has also seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 21.6% in 2021-2022 to 42.94% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 13555 Chaney Thompson Rd
       Huntsville, AL  35803


(256) 428-7060

District: Huntsville City

SchoolDigger Rank:
351st of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,486 Help


Students who attend Challenger Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Challenger Middle School
High:    Virgil Grissom High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.6 Help
Number of students:  503

Racial breakdown:

White:
53.1%
African American:
19.5%
Hispanic:
16.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42.9% Help


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 Compare Challenger Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Challenger Elementary School ranks worse than 51.3% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 9th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Huntsville City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.42. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Challenger Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (53.1%), African American (19.5%), Hispanic (16.7%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 42.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 17.6, which is the 10th best among 24 elementary schools in the Huntsville City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Challenger Elementary School employs 28.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenger Elementary School is $7,486. 22 elementary schools in the Huntsville City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Challenger Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger Elementary School 351st of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Challenger Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Huntsville City:

SchoolDigger ranks Huntsville City 83rd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Challenger Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 86.76 48th 623 92.3%
2005 84.44 57th 688 91.7%
2006 88.82 25th 689 96.4%
2007 85.51 43rd 698 93.8%
2008 82.18 59th 698 91.5%
2009 82.53 54th 696 92.2%
2010 77.45 97th 704 86.2%
2011 75.19 129th 709 81.8%
2012 75.43 126th 696 81.9%
2013 72.19 139th 696 80.0%
2014 88.11 57th 695 91.8%
2015 94.65 30th 691 95.7%
2016 87.02 68th 691 90.2%
2017 66.36 208th 688 69.8%
2018 63.17 254th 680 62.6%
2019 58.48 279th 681 59.0%
2021 60.75 255th 692 63.2%
2022 66.60 205th 687 70.2%
2023 65.75 223rd 680 67.2%
2024 49.42 351st 684 48.7%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 71.09 20th 70 71.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 55.93 95th 280 66.1%
2018 60.03 104th 344 69.8%
2019 47.22 188th 392 52.0%
2021 50.35 162nd 398 59.3%
2022 65.85 80th 345 76.8%
2023 65.07 83rd 373 77.7%
2024 44.63 191st 395 51.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 50.00 294th 567 48.1%
2018 48.80 350th 651 46.2%
2019 51.70 316th 649 51.3%
2021 32.19 453rd 653 30.6%
2022 45.58 362nd 651 44.4%
2023 42.39 371st 623 40.4%
2024 25.35 520th 670 22.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 67.04 179th 639 72.0%
2018 67.72 190th 640 70.3%
2019 62.24 226th 646 65.0%
2021 55.77 280th 656 57.3%
2022 66.94 194th 656 70.4%
2023 62.41 237th 645 63.3%
2024 50.87 318th 650 51.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 63.70 205th 639 67.9%
2018 60.03 262nd 650 59.7%
2019 54.23 298th 650 54.2%
2021 63.32 221st 669 67.0%
2022 63.85 224th 669 66.5%
2023 66.53 201st 649 69.0%
2024 44.70 376th 655 42.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 33.38 226th 336 32.7%
2018 40.23 263rd 423 37.8%
2019 44.58 218th 426 48.8%
2021 38.79 244th 426 42.7%
2022 66.62 97th 426 77.2%
2023 37.16 261st 427 38.9%
2024 19.38 381st 420 9.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.61 43rd 140 69.3%
2019 46.32 75th 152 50.7%
2021 50.99 75th 164 54.3%
2022 52.31 72nd 175 58.9%
2023 63.27 55th 184 70.1%
2024 61.88 61st 196 68.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 48.94 175th 369 52.6%
2018 49.49 257th 508 49.4%
2019 49.89 253rd 529 52.2%
2021 58.75 191st 539 64.6%
2022 58.80 197th 540 63.5%
2023 54.85 223rd 528 57.8%
2024 46.36 290th 535 45.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Challenger Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Challenger Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 606 20 32 7 1 n/a n/a 0 666
1991 686 21 40 7 1 n/a n/a 0 755
1992 708 14 33 10 1 n/a n/a -1 765
1993 750 14 50 11 4 n/a n/a 0 829
1994 737 27 54 11 3 n/a n/a 0 832
1995 711 27 66 8 2 n/a n/a 0 814
1996 711 27 66 8 2 n/a n/a 0 814
1997 668 30 67 10 1 n/a n/a 0 776
1998 654 31 69 11 0 n/a n/a 0 765
1999 654 31 63 8 1 n/a n/a 0 757
2000 627 34 59 12 1 n/a n/a 0 733
2001 574 33 48 8 2 n/a n/a 1 666
2002 542 53 54 15 4 n/a n/a 0 668
2003 542 53 54 15 4 n/a n/a 0 668
2004 509 65 47 14 3 n/a n/a 0 638
2005 488 89 49 16 4 n/a n/a 0 646
2006 458 77 40 12 3 n/a n/a 1 591
2007 417 70 44 19 2 n/a n/a 0 552
2008 424 77 38 21 4 n/a n/a 0 564
2009 397 75 32 14 3 n/a n/a 0 521
2010 390 86 35 13 1 n/a n/a 1 526
2011 383 81 31 19 2 0 6 0 522
2012 395 69 27 14 1 0 17 0 523
2013 410 63 34 20 5 0 26 0 558
2014 430 71 34 18 4 1 27 0 585
2015 399 53 36 42 4 1 48 0 583
2016 343 49 21 51 2 0 38 0 504
2017 320 80 18 52 1 0 42 0 513
2018 296 85 15 75 1 0 38 0 510
2019 292 105 10 79 1 0 52 0 539
2020 260 113 10 75 1 0 53 0 512
2021 226 108 7 70 0 0 57 0 468
2022 288 115 15 77 2 3 0 0 500
2023 267 98 8 84 0 1 45 0 503

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Challenger Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 666 33.0 20.1 0
1991 755 36.0 20.9 n/a
1992 765 36.0 21.2 n/a
1993 829 39.0 21.3 n/a
1994 832 47.0 17.7 n/a
1995 814 48.1 16.9 n/a
1996 814 48.1 16.9 n/a
1997 776 48.5 16.0 5.7
1998 765 44.5 17.2 6.3
1999 757 45.0 16.8 9.8
2000 733 46.5 15.8 11.1
2001 666 45.5 14.6 13.8
2002 668 42.0 15.9 15.6
2003 668 42.0 15.9 15.6
2004 638 39.1 16.3 18
2005 646 40.3 16.0 23.4
2006 591 39.0 15.1 22.7
2007 552 36.0 15.3 22.3
2008 564 33.9 16.6 19.9
2009 521 37.5 13.7 20.9
2010 526 34.6 15.1 28
2011 522 34.3 15.2 28.9
2012 523 38.9 13.4 30.2
2013 558 39.1 14.2 34.8
2014 585 33.3 17.5 38.1
2015 583 37.0 15.7 38.6
2016 504 32.0 15.7 40.7
2017 513 31.0 16.5 45.4
2018 510 29.0 17.5 34.7
2019 539 31.6 17.0 33.4
2020 512 29.8 17.1 27.9
2021 468 33.6 13.9 29.9
2022 500 32.8 15.2 21.6
2023 503 28.5 17.6 42.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Challenger Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 666 33.0 20.1 0
1991 755 36.0 20.9 n/a
1992 765 36.0 21.2 n/a
1993 829 39.0 21.3 n/a
1994 832 47.0 17.7 n/a
1995 814 48.1 16.9 n/a
1996 814 48.1 16.9 n/a
1997 776 48.5 16.0 5.7
1998 765 44.5 17.2 6.3
1999 757 45.0 16.8 9.8
2000 733 46.5 15.8 11.1
2001 666 45.5 14.6 13.8
2002 668 42.0 15.9 15.6
2003 668 42.0 15.9 15.6
2004 638 39.1 16.3 18
2005 646 40.3 16.0 23.4
2006 591 39.0 15.1 22.7
2007 552 36.0 15.3 22.3
2008 564 33.9 16.6 19.9
2009 521 37.5 13.7 20.9
2010 526 34.6 15.1 28
2011 522 34.3 15.2 28.9
2012 523 38.9 13.4 30.2
2013 558 39.1 14.2 34.8
2014 585 33.3 17.5 38.1
2015 583 37.0 15.7 38.6
2016 504 32.0 15.7 40.7
2017 513 31.0 16.5 45.4
2018 510 29.0 17.5 34.7
2019 539 31.6 17.0 33.4
2020 512 29.8 17.1 27.9
2021 468 33.6 13.9 29.9
2022 500 32.8 15.2 21.6
2023 503 28.5 17.6 42.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Challenger Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $524 (7.0%) $6,961 (93.0%) $7,486

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Challenger Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 279th of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 223rd of 680 Elementary schools
 8.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Challenger Elementary School)6136.6
 24.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Huntsville City)53.933.4
 20.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Challenger Elementary School)47.140.3
 6.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Huntsville City)44.729.8
 14.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Challenger Elementary School)42.629.6
 12.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Huntsville City)4428.2
 15.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students539503
 6.7%
African American10598
 6.7%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian108
 20%
Hispanic7984
 6.3%
Pacific Islander01
White292267
 8.6%
Two or More Races5245
 13.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients33.4%42.9%
 9.5%


Schools Near Challenger Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Elementary School

Students at Challenger Elementary School are 53% White, 19% African American, 17% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 503 students attended Challenger Elementary School.

Challenger Elementary School ranks 351st of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Challenger Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Challenger Middle School
High : Virgil Grissom High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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