Challenger Elementary School

Summary:

Challenger Elementary School is a public elementary school in Howell, Michigan, serving 486 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Howell Public Schools district, which is ranked 206 out of 610 districts in the state.

Challenger Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, with students generally scoring higher than the state average on M-Step tests, particularly in math. For example, in 2023-2024, 58.6% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 43.4%. The school also has a significantly higher percentage of white students (91.56%) compared to the state and nearby schools. However, Challenger has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.5% in 2018-2019 to 23.3% in 2022-2023, an issue the school should address.

Compared to other Howell Public Schools elementary schools, Challenger generally outperforms its peers in test scores, with 3rd grade math proficiency at 58.6% compared to 30.3% at Three Fires Elementary and 63.9% at Ruahmah J Hutchings Elementary. However, Challenger's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, suggesting inconsistent performance compared to other Michigan elementary schools.


Detail:

Public K-5

 1066 W Grand River Ave
       Howell, MI  48843-1499


(517) 548-6375

District: Howell Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
694th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,377 Help


Students who attend Challenger Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Highlander Way Middle School
High:    Howell High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  459

Racial breakdown:

White:
92.4%
Hispanic:
4.1%
Two or more races:
3.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  29.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Challenger Elementary School ranks better than 53.3% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 5th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Howell Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.11. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (3.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 29.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 13.9, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the Howell Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Challenger Elementary School employs 33 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenger Elementary School is $14,377, which is the 2nd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Howell Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Challenger Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger Elementary School 694th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Challenger Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Howell Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howell Public Schools 206th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Challenger Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 79.96 181st 1545 88.3%
2007 77.74 248th 1565 84.2%
2008 72.23 419th 1577 73.4%
2009 71.50 457th 1589 71.2%
2010 74.49 349th 1552 77.5%
2011 75.31 338th 1552 78.2%
2012 69.53 450th 1566 71.3%
2013 68.49 469th 1563 70.0%
2014 60.43 631st 1533 58.8%
2015 52.34 777th 1580 50.8%
2016 56.45 669th 1548 56.8%
2017 68.66 370th 1466 74.8%
2018 64.12 540th 1448 62.7%
2019 53.74 610th 1408 56.7%
2021 54.26 460th 1153 60.1%
2022 49.77 621st 1344 53.8%
2023 57.34 582nd 1470 60.4%
2024 50.11 694th 1486 53.3%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 46.65 100th 195 48.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan 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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.09 537th 1397 61.6%
2019 49.50 562nd 1134 50.4%
2021 76.90 96th 749 87.2%
2022 36.81 704th 1099 35.9%
2023 36.80 858th 1350 36.4%
2024 35.33 896th 1381 35.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan 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 MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.20 505th 1443 65.0%
2019 58.21 459th 1171 60.8%
2021 46.84 451st 902 50.0%
2022 40.32 637th 1106 42.4%
2023 36.86 811th 1321 38.6%
2024 42.42 721st 1342 46.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.88 552nd 1446 61.8%
2019 44.99 651st 1196 45.6%
2021 50.02 421st 915 54.0%
2022 46.36 583rd 1139 48.8%
2023 60.77 483rd 1334 63.8%
2024 47.65 670th 1347 50.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Challenger Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.35 631st 1253 49.6%
2019 41.49 670th 1128 40.6%
2021 47.32 494th 1005 50.8%
2022 37.72 685th 1102 37.8%
2023 44.61 660th 1198 44.9%
2024 36.75 777th 1204 35.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan 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: Michigan 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
1993 570 1 4 6 16 n/a n/a 0 597
1994 552 3 5 3 17 n/a n/a 0 580
1995 638 1 1 5 17 n/a n/a 0 662
1996 638 1 1 5 17 n/a n/a 0 662
1997 682 2 2 1 4 n/a n/a 0 691
1998 675 2 3 2 5 n/a n/a 0 687
1999 495 2 2 2 12 n/a n/a 0 513
2000 527 3 1 5 4 n/a n/a 0 540
2001 522 2 1 8 3 n/a n/a 0 536
2002 561 0 3 9 5 n/a n/a 0 578
2003 561 0 3 9 5 n/a n/a 0 578
2004 510 1 5 9 5 n/a n/a 0 530
2005 502 5 5 4 7 n/a n/a 0 523
2006 509 5 8 7 11 n/a n/a 0 540
2007 549 6 7 12 15 n/a n/a 0 589
2008 503 4 11 13 14 n/a n/a 0 545
2009 507 4 6 14 13 n/a n/a 0 544
2010 474 4 3 14 10 n/a n/a 0 505
2011 459 1 2 11 10 1 0 0 484
2012 438 0 2 10 7 1 0 0 458
2013 404 0 3 16 5 0 3 0 431
2014 404 0 3 12 4 1 8 0 432
2015 447 1 3 14 5 1 18 0 489
2016 445 0 2 16 4 1 12 0 480
2017 421 0 1 16 3 1 14 0 456
2018 443 0 1 21 3 1 10 0 479
2019 417 0 2 19 2 1 13 0 454
2020 449 0 1 15 1 0 16 0 482
2021 429 1 1 13 1 0 11 0 456
2022 439 3 2 17 1 0 16 0 478
2023 445 4 1 22 0 0 14 0 486
2024 424 2 0 19 0 0 14 0 459

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
1993 597 n/a 0.0 7.5
1994 580 24.7 23.5 6
1995 662 26.5 25.0 7.4
1996 662 26.5 25.0 7.4
1997 691 28.0 24.7 6.9
1998 687 28.0 24.5 6
1999 513 22.0 23.3 5.8
2000 540 26.5 20.4 9.6
2001 536 28.5 18.8 8.8
2002 578 34.5 16.8 15.9
2003 578 34.5 16.8 15.9
2004 530 31.0 17.1 15.1
2005 523 30.3 17.3 18.2
2006 540 32.5 16.6 18.5
2007 589 34.0 17.3 27
2008 545 30.5 17.9 33
2009 544 30.5 17.8 34.9
2010 505 26.5 19.0 35
2011 484 27.0 17.9 38.6
2012 458 25.0 18.3 43.4
2013 431 25.5 16.9 42.2
2014 432 24.5 17.6 45.8
2015 489 28.0 17.4 47.6
2016 480 26.0 18.4 40.2
2017 456 25.5 17.8 35.3
2018 479 27.0 17.7 38.6
2019 454 27.8 16.2 38.8
2020 482 25.8 18.6 39.6
2021 456 28.8 15.7 36.8
2022 478 28.8 16.5 33.3
2023 486 25.8 18.7 34
2024 459 33.0 13.9 29.8

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 Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 597 n/a 0.0 7.5
1994 580 24.7 23.5 6
1995 662 26.5 25.0 7.4
1996 662 26.5 25.0 7.4
1997 691 28.0 24.7 6.9
1998 687 28.0 24.5 6
1999 513 22.0 23.3 5.8
2000 540 26.5 20.4 9.6
2001 536 28.5 18.8 8.8
2002 578 34.5 16.8 15.9
2003 578 34.5 16.8 15.9
2004 530 31.0 17.1 15.1
2005 523 30.3 17.3 18.2
2006 540 32.5 16.6 18.5
2007 589 34.0 17.3 27
2008 545 30.5 17.9 33
2009 544 30.5 17.8 34.9
2010 505 26.5 19.0 35
2011 484 27.0 17.9 38.6
2012 458 25.0 18.3 43.4
2013 431 25.5 16.9 42.2
2014 432 24.5 17.6 45.8
2015 489 28.0 17.4 47.6
2016 480 26.0 18.4 40.2
2017 456 25.5 17.8 35.3
2018 479 27.0 17.7 38.6
2019 454 27.8 16.2 38.8
2020 482 25.8 18.6 39.6
2021 456 28.8 15.7 36.8
2022 478 28.8 16.5 33.3
2023 486 25.8 18.7 34
2024 459 33.0 13.9 29.8

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 Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $678 (6.9%) $9,211 (93.1%) $9,889
2020 $640 (6.1%) $9,772 (93.9%) $10,411
2021 $1,241 (10.8%) $10,258 (89.2%) $11,499
2022 $793 (6.4%) $11,653 (93.6%) $12,446
2023 $2,766 (19.2%) $11,612 (80.8%) $14,377

Data source: Michigan 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 610th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 582nd of 1470 Elementary schools
 3.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Elementary School)4444
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Howell Public Schools)55.146.4
 8.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Challenger Elementary School)38.754.9
 16.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Howell Public Schools)53.748.2
 5.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Elementary School)39.137.5
 1.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Howell Public Schools)50.749.4
 1.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Challenger Elementary School)46.944.4
 2.5%
   4th Grade Math (Howell Public Schools)56.846.7
 10.1%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Challenger Elementary School)58.352.2
 6.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Howell Public Schools)57.850.1
 7.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Challenger Elementary School)58.336.8
 21.5%
   5th Grade Math (Howell Public Schools)53.441.9
 11.5%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Challenger Elementary School)20.823.5
 2.7%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Howell Public Schools)24.622
 2.6%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students454486
 7%
African American04
American Indian20
 100%
Asian21
 50%
Hispanic1922
 15.8%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White417445
 6.7%
Two or More Races1314
 7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients38.8%34%
 4.8%


Schools Near Challenger Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Elementary School

Students at Challenger Elementary School are 92% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

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

Middle : Highlander Way Middle School
High : Howell High School

Challenger Elementary School ranks 694th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 459 students attended Challenger Elementary 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 Michigan 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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