Challenger Middle School

Q: Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 441 st of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Challenger Middle School is a public middle school located in Cape Coral, Florida, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,124 students. The school is part of the Lee District, which is ranked 50 out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Challenger Middle School consistently outperforms the Lee District and the state of Florida in various standardized test scores, including EOC/Algebra 1, EOC/Geometry, EOC/Civics, and Statewide Science/Science for 8th grade. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Challenger Middle School had 87% proficiency in EOC/Algebra 1, compared to 45% for the Lee District and 55% for Florida. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.6% in 2019-2020 to 42.3% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the nearby schools, such as Diplomat Middle School (17.2%) and Mariner Middle School (46.5%).

Challenger Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44.38% to 49.82% over the past three school years, which is comparable to some nearby schools like Diplomat Middle School (50.11%) and Mariner Middle School (52.65%), but higher than others like Oasis Charter Middle School (33.49%). Despite this, the school has maintained a strong academic performance, consistently ranking in the top half of Florida middle schools and earning 3 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger.

Detail:

Public 6-8

624 Trafalgar Pkwy
Cape Coral, FL 33991

(239) 242-4341

District: Lee

SchoolDigger Rank:
441^st of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,499

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually attend:

High:	Cape Coral High School
	Ida S. Baker High School
	Island Coast High School
	Mariner High School
	More...
	North Fort Myers High School

Feeder schools for Challenger Middle School:

Elementary:	Caloosa Elementary School
	Cape Elementary School
	Diplomat Elementary School
	Dr Carrie D Robinson Littleton Elementary School
	More...
	Gulf Elementary School
	Hancock Creek Elementary School
	Hector A. Cafferata Junior Elementary School
	J. Colin English Elementary School
	North Fort Myers Academy For The Arts
	Patriot Elementary School
	Pelican Elementary School
	Pine Island Elementary School
	Skyline Elementary School
	Trafalgar Elementary School
	Tropic Isles Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8

Number of students: 1,124

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.2%

Hispanic:

43.3%

African American:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.8%

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Compare Challenger Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Challenger Middle School ranks better than 63.1% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 6^th among 17 ranked middle schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.57. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (47.2%), Hispanic (43.3%), African American (4.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenger Middle School is 18.8, which is the 5^th best among 17 middle schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Challenger Middle School employs 59.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenger Middle School is $9,499. 13 middle schools in the Lee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Challenger Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger Middle School 441^st of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Challenger Middle School in the ranking list.)

Lee:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee 50^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Challenger Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2009	61.41	316^th	780	59.5%
2010	60.33	350^th	839	58.3%
2011	68.32	291^st	891	67.3%
2012	71.15	245^th	897	72.7%
2013	76.80	199^th	956	79.2%
2014	73.43	238^th	999	76.2%
2016	70.05	273^rd	997	72.6%
2017	67.51	313^th	1031	69.6%
2018	73.01	256^th	1035	75.3%
2019	70.29	300^th	1099	72.7%
2021	64.92	364^th	1136	68.0%
2022	63.89	371^st	1148	67.7%
2023	58.09	459^th	1177	61.0%
2024	60.57	441^st	1196	63.1%

See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Challenger Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	152	22	5	109	2	n/a	n/a	13	303
2008	457	65	7	293	5	n/a	n/a	44	871
2009	634	62	9	283	3	n/a	n/a	54	1045
2010	661	64	8	295	3	n/a	n/a	23	1054
2011	694	64	8	304	0	0	26	0	1096
2012	692	65	9	285	1	1	29	0	1082
2013	693	62	11	285	2	2	28	0	1083
2014	690	52	15	299	4	2	24	0	1086
2015	659	59	15	318	4	3	30	0	1088
2016	611	48	19	343	3	1	29	0	1054
2017	588	48	21	368	2	1	34	0	1062
2018	522	61	20	398	3	0	41	0	1045
2019	533	52	18	444	3	1	41	0	1092
2020	523	70	14	448	4	1	45	0	1105
2021	524	55	14	477	2	0	41	0	1113
2022	543	70	12	450	3	0	37	0	1115
2023	531	48	12	487	3	0	43	0	1124

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	303	16.0	18.9	53.4
2008	871	49.0	17.8	55.7
2009	1045	58.2	18.2	59.8
2010	1054	58.0	18.1	63.1
2011	1096	58.5	18.7	60.9
2012	1082	63.0	17.1	64
2013	1083	64.0	16.9	62
2014	1086	61.0	17.8	62.2
2015	1088	65.0	16.7	63.6
2016	1054	58.0	18.1	45.7
2017	1062	61.0	17.4	42.4
2018	1045	63.0	16.5	44.4
2019	1092	55.9	19.5	43.1
2020	1105	51.9	21.2	41.8
2021	1113	52.6	21.1	44.4
2022	1115	54.6	20.4	46.4
2023	1124	59.5	18.8	49.8

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	303	16.0	18.9	53.4
2008	871	49.0	17.8	55.7
2009	1045	58.2	18.2	59.8
2010	1054	58.0	18.1	63.1
2011	1096	58.5	18.7	60.9
2012	1082	63.0	17.1	64
2013	1083	64.0	16.9	62
2014	1086	61.0	17.8	62.2
2015	1088	65.0	16.7	63.6
2016	1054	58.0	18.1	45.7
2017	1062	61.0	17.4	42.4
2018	1045	63.0	16.5	44.4
2019	1092	55.9	19.5	43.1
2020	1105	51.9	21.2	41.8
2021	1113	52.6	21.1	44.4
2022	1115	54.6	20.4	46.4
2023	1124	59.5	18.8	49.8

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 Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$242 (3.4%)	$6,859 (96.6%)	$7,101
2019	$279 (4.0%)	$6,658 (96.0%)	$6,937
2020	$272 (3.9%)	$6,767 (96.1%)	$7,038
2021	$457 (6.3%)	$6,802 (93.7%)	$7,260
2022	$1,308 (16.0%)	$6,869 (84.0%)	$8,178
2023	$1,456 (15.3%)	$8,043 (84.7%)	$9,499

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Challenger Middle 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 300^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 459^th of 1177 Middle schools	11.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Middle School)	57	60	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	52	49	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Challenger Middle School)	53	35	18%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lee)	47	33	14%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Middle School)	62	55	7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	51	46	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Challenger Middle School)	68	55	13%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lee)	57	43	14%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Middle School)	66	54	12%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	57	47	10%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Challenger Middle School)	78	62	16%
8th Grade Mathematics (Lee)	60	49	11%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Challenger Middle School)	56	51	5%
8th Grade Science (Lee)	46	43	3%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Challenger Middle School)	75	75
End of Course Civics (Lee)	67	60	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Challenger Middle School)	96	89	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Lee)	60	48	12%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1092	1124	2.9%
African American	52	48	7.7%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	18	12	33.3%
Hispanic	444	487	9.7%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	533	531	0.4%
Two or More Races	41	43	4.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	43.1%	49.8%	6.7%

Schools Near Challenger Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Challenger Middle School	Public	6-8	624 Trafalgar Pkwy	Cape Coral	33991	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 242-4341	1,124	60	18.8	49.8%	531 (47.2%)	48 (4.3%)	487 (43.3%)	12 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (3.8%)	60.6	441^st of 1196 public middle schools	63.1%		58.1	459^th of 1177 public middle schools	61.0%	18	48.0	56.0	58.0	64.0	37.0	75.0	47.0	87.0	95.0	73.0	$9,499	$1,456	$8,043
Trafalgar Middle School	Public	6-8	2120 Trafalgar Pkwy	Cape Coral	33991	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 283-2001	986	54	18.2	36.4%	484 (49.1%)	52 (5.3%)	402 (40.8%)	13 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (3.5%)	71.9	307^th of 1196 public middle schools	74.3%		73.4	281^st of 1177 public middle schools	76.1%	26	64.0	64.0	60.0	78.0	31.0	76.0	54.0	71.0		79.0	$10,048	$1,478	$8,570
Gulf Middle School	Public	6-8	1809 SW 36th Ter	Cape Coral	33914	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 549-0606	812	43	18.8	38.2%	455 (56.0%)	39 (4.8%)	268 (33.0%)	18 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.8%)	70.8	322^nd of 1196 public middle schools	73.1%		71.2	313^th of 1177 public middle schools	73.4%	9	59.0	61.0	58.0	68.0	47.0	88.0	57.0	87.0		72.0	$10,691	$1,760	$8,930
Mariner Middle School	Public	6-8	425 Chiquita Blvd N	Cape Coral	33993	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 772-1848	1,001	51	19.7	52.6%	422 (42.2%)	80 (8.0%)	438 (43.8%)	18 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	39 (3.9%)	38.1	746^th of 1196 public middle schools	37.6%		44.2	647^th of 1177 public middle schools	45.0%	99	43.0	44.0	37.0	52.0	24.0	60.0	33.0	86.0		51.0	$9,969	$1,893	$8,075
Oasis Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3507 Oasis Blvd	Cape Coral	33914	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 945-1999	839	44	19.0	33.5%	545 (65.0%)	22 (2.6%)	228 (27.2%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.9%)	80.6	194^th of 1196 public middle schools	83.8%		85.4	135^th of 1177 public middle schools	88.5%	59	66.0	75.0	66.0	69.0	60.0	93.0	63.0	98.0		86.0	$8,875	$03	$8,872
Caloosa Middle School	Public	6-8	610 Del Prado Blvd S	Cape Coral	33990	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 574-3232	935	49	19.0	56.6%	381 (40.7%)	93 (9.9%)	418 (44.7%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.5%)	38.2	745^th of 1196 public middle schools	37.7%		42.3	672^nd of 1177 public middle schools	42.9%	73	41.0	41.0	44.0	50.0	31.0	56.0	37.0	83.0		59.0	$11,136	$2,434	$8,702
Diplomat Middle School	Public	6-8	1039 NE 16th Ter	Cape Coral	33909	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 574-5257	912	46	19.8	50.1%	368 (40.4%)	70 (7.7%)	423 (46.4%)	16 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.7%)	54.8	516^th of 1196 public middle schools	56.9%		50.5	556^th of 1177 public middle schools	52.8%	40	61.0	54.0	55.0	56.0	26.0	61.0	42.0	83.0		67.0	$12,553	$1,860	$10,692
Cypress Lake Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	8901 Cypress Lake Dr	Fort Myers	33919	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	No	(239) 481-1533	781	42	18.6	39.3%	359 (46.0%)	77 (9.9%)	295 (37.8%)	13 (1.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.4%)	70.9	321^st of 1196 public middle schools	73.2%		64	391^st of 1177 public middle schools	66.8%	70	64.0	60.0	60.0	72.0	23.0	74.0	58.0	94.0		74.0	$12,810	$2,273	$10,536
Fort Myers Middle Academy	Public	6-8	3050 Central Ave	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 936-1759	687	36	19.2	67.0%	64 (9.3%)	324 (47.2%)	276 (40.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.9%)	19.3	1007^th of 1196 public middle schools	15.8%		13.8	1052^nd of 1177 public middle schools	10.6%	45	30.0	32.0	34.0	31.0	24.0	41.0	23.0	78.0		44.0	$12,527	$3,521	$9,006
Lexington Middle School	Public	6-8	16351 Summerlin Rd	Fort Myers	33908	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 454-6130	1,138	55	20.6	43.6%	428 (37.6%)	153 (13.4%)	493 (43.3%)	30 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	30 (2.6%)	44.2	671^st of 1196 public middle schools	43.9%		53.4	519^th of 1177 public middle schools	55.9%	152	42.0	46.0	54.0	50.0	23.0	62.0	39.0	80.0		59.0	$11,644	$1,536	$10,109

Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Challenger Middle School?

Students at Challenger Middle School are 47% White, 43% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Challenger Middle School attend?

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually go on to attend Cape Coral High School

How many students attend Challenger Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,124 students attended Challenger Middle School.

What district is Challenger Middle School in?

Lee

Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 441^st of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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