Is Challenger High School a good school?

Challenger High School ranks in the bottom 14.9% of Washington high schools.

How many students attend Challenger High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 366 students attended Challenger High School.

What is the racial makeup of Challenger High School?

Students at Challenger High School are 52% White, 21% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Challenger High School

Summary:

Challenger High School is a public high school located in Spanaway, Washington, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 271 students. The school is part of the Bethel School District, which is ranked 141 out of 247 school districts in Washington and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Challenger High School faces significant challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Washington high schools, with a ranking between 372-421 out of 437-455 schools over the past several years. The school has received 0-1 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger, indicating very low performance compared to other schools in the state. Challenger High School has seen a significant decline in its four-year graduation rates, dropping from 68.3% in 2018-2019 to just 54.8% in 2020-2021, well below the state and district averages. Correspondingly, the school has experienced high dropout rates, reaching as high as 25.5% in 2020-2021, more than double the state and district averages.

When compared to other high schools in the Bethel School District and the surrounding area, Challenger High School consistently underperforms. For example, Bethel High School, located just 3.6 miles away, has significantly higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and better academic performance on standardized tests. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.2 in 2022-2023 and a significant increase in per-student spending, from $14,286 in 2019-2020 to $22,217 in 2021-2022, Challenger High School's academic outcomes have not improved, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review of the school's strategies, resource allocation, and support systems.

Detail:

Public 7-12

18117 A Street South
Spanaway, WA 98387

(253) 800-6800

District: Bethel School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
372^nd of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,217

Student/teacher ratio: 18.6

Number of students: 366

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.5%

Hispanic:

20.8%

Two or more races:

13.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Challenger High School ranks worse than 92.7% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.38. (See more...)

Compare Details Challenger High School ranks worse than 85.1% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 4 ranked high schools in the Bethel School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.81. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Challenger High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Challenger High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (52.5%), Hispanic (20.8%), two or more races (13.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenger High School is 18.6, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Bethel School District! (See more...)

Compare Challenger High School employs 19.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenger High School is $22,217, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Bethel School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Challenger High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger High School 496^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Challenger High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger High School 372^nd of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Challenger High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bethel School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethel School District 141^st of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Challenger High School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.92	529^th	539	1.9%
2024	11.38	496^th	535	7.3%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	25.05	353^rd	466	24.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Challenger High School

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Rank History for all high school students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	19.29	325^th	390	16.7%
2005	52.76	221^st	394	43.9%
2006	39.90	270^th	395	31.6%
2007	48.85	241^st	399	39.6%
2008	48.70	244^th	396	38.4%
2009	19.99	335^th	402	16.7%
2010	55.29	213^th	423	49.6%
2011	31.76	311^th	440	29.3%
2012	31.63	328^th	450	27.1%
2013	39.54	312^th	454	31.3%
2019	9.86	394^th	417	5.5%
2021	13.53	421^st	455	7.5%
2022	15.80	383^rd	434	11.8%
2023	13.34	407^th	442	7.9%
2024	17.81	372^nd	437	14.9%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	15.11	321^st	344	6.7%
2021	17.90	359^th	392	8.4%
2022	28.68	280^th	370	24.3%
2023	16.09	333^rd	362	8.0%
2024	23.70	288^th	356	19.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	18.28	309^th	358	13.7%
2021	17.44	340^th	390	12.8%
2022	23.04	300^th	368	18.5%
2023	14.70	326^th	357	8.7%
2024	13.51	321^st	347	7.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	7.03	249^th	254	2.0%
2019	3.48	352^nd	355	0.8%
2021	26.97	301^st	395	23.8%
2022	13.88	331^st	363	8.8%
2023	15.26	319^th	358	10.9%
2024	21.44	297^th	362	18.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	3.36	278^th	278	0.0%
2024	43.95	132^nd	248	46.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Challenger High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	6.33	363^rd	382	5.0%
2021	22.70	341^st	413	17.4%
2022	11.36	359^th	390	7.9%
2023	9.20	358^th	379	5.5%
2024	6.52	363^rd	374	2.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 5, 2021

My son had huge issues in traditional high school so we enrolled him in Challenger. I carried with me the standard bias that alternative high schools are for burn outs, trouble makers, addicts and kids bound for prison. Was I ever wrong!! My son thrived!! Graduated with honors and now works at Amazon. The teachers are great and will go out of their way to help any kids willing to try. There is a low student to teacher ratio that allows for more individual instruction and my son was still able to participate in district athletics. If your kid needs help send them here! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Challenger High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	168	6	8	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	190
1990	196	1	3	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	205
1991	176	3	13	4	9	n/a	n/a	0	205
1992	203	8	23	8	8	n/a	n/a	0	250
1993	210	11	22	7	6	n/a	n/a	0	256
1994	254	15	23	11	19	n/a	n/a	0	322
1995	197	17	21	9	13	n/a	n/a	0	257
1996	197	17	21	9	13	n/a	n/a	0	257
1997	297	23	19	15	18	n/a	n/a	0	372
1998	297	21	14	21	19	n/a	n/a	0	372
1999	294	16	14	17	20	n/a	n/a	0	361
2000	298	23	17	18	15	n/a	n/a	0	371
2001	260	13	9	20	18	n/a	n/a	0	320
2002	293	23	12	14	16	n/a	n/a	0	358
2003	293	23	12	14	16	n/a	n/a	0	358
2004	304	31	14	21	17	n/a	n/a	0	387
2005	320	38	18	27	12	n/a	n/a	0	415
2006	327	26	21	36	21	n/a	n/a	0	431
2007	343	38	32	44	17	n/a	n/a	0	474
2008	400	54	26	43	23	n/a	n/a	0	546
2009	436	56	45	45	31	n/a	n/a	0	613
2010	225	32	35	40	14	n/a	n/a	0	346
2011	223	24	24	33	12	3	11	0	330
2012	222	27	14	42	15	6	8	0	334
2013	248	26	23	40	16	7	30	0	390
2014	217	34	13	50	12	5	23	0	354
2015	195	28	14	48	6	10	16	0	317
2016	183	27	15	36	8	10	21	0	300
2017	174	17	9	39	6	3	14	0	262
2018	167	16	5	52	3	6	17	0	266
2019	150	27	3	57	5	9	27	0	278
2020	136	19	5	46	8	10	35	1	260
2021	142	16	2	46	6	8	33	1	254
2022	145	20	1	49	5	6	32	0	258
2023	150	17	7	57	2	4	33	1	271
2024	192	22	6	76	6	10	51	3	366

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 High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	190	0.0	0.0	n/a
1990	205	0.0	0.0	0
1991	205	0.0	0.0	n/a
1992	250	0.0	0.0	n/a
1993	256	0.0	0.0	n/a
1994	322	0.0	n/a	n/a
1995	257	0.0	0.0	n/a
1996	257	0.0	0.0	n/a
1997	372	0.0	0.0	n/a
1998	372	0.0	0.0	n/a
1999	361	0.0	0.0	n/a
2000	371	0.0	0.0	n/a
2001	320	0.0	0.0	n/a
2002	358	0.0	n/a	35.8
2003	358	0.0	n/a	35.8
2004	387	0.0	n/a	40.8
2005	415	n/a	n/a	33.5
2006	431	0.0	n/a	38.5
2007	474	0.0	n/a	41.8
2008	546	n/a	n/a	36.4
2009	613	n/a	n/a	22.3
2010	346	23.2	14.8	36.4
2011	330	15.6	21.1	27.6
2012	334	12.8	26.0	54.8
2013	390	13.0	30.0	45.6
2014	354	n/a	n/a	55.6
2015	317	14.0	22.6	67.2
2016	300	15.0	20.0	57.3
2017	262	16.0	16.3	68.7
2018	266	16.0	16.6	59.8
2019	278	16.0	17.3	68.3
2020	260	16.0	16.2	66.9
2021	254	15.0	16.9	56.7
2022	258	15.0	17.2	57.8
2023	271	19.0	14.2	65.7
2024	366	19.6	18.6	61.2

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 High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	190	0.0	0.0	n/a
1990	205	0.0	0.0	0
1991	205	0.0	0.0	n/a
1992	250	0.0	0.0	n/a
1993	256	0.0	0.0	n/a
1994	322	0.0	n/a	n/a
1995	257	0.0	0.0	n/a
1996	257	0.0	0.0	n/a
1997	372	0.0	0.0	n/a
1998	372	0.0	0.0	n/a
1999	361	0.0	0.0	n/a
2000	371	0.0	0.0	n/a
2001	320	0.0	0.0	n/a
2002	358	0.0	n/a	35.8
2003	358	0.0	n/a	35.8
2004	387	0.0	n/a	40.8
2005	415	n/a	n/a	33.5
2006	431	0.0	n/a	38.5
2007	474	0.0	n/a	41.8
2008	546	n/a	n/a	36.4
2009	613	n/a	n/a	22.3
2010	346	23.2	14.8	36.4
2011	330	15.6	21.1	27.6
2012	334	12.8	26.0	54.8
2013	390	13.0	30.0	45.6
2014	354	n/a	n/a	55.6
2015	317	14.0	22.6	67.2
2016	300	15.0	20.0	57.3
2017	262	16.0	16.3	68.7
2018	266	16.0	16.6	59.8
2019	278	16.0	17.3	68.3
2020	260	16.0	16.2	66.9
2021	254	15.0	16.9	56.7
2022	258	15.0	17.2	57.8
2023	271	19.0	14.2	65.7
2024	366	19.6	18.6	61.2

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.

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