Is Challenge Elementary a good school?

Yes! Challenge Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 1 st of 1168 Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Challenge Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 402 students attended Challenge Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Challenge Elementary?

Students at Challenge Elementary are 46% White, 33% Asian, 11% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Hispanic.

Challenge Elementary

Summary:

Challenge Elementary is a highly-ranked public elementary school serving students from kindergarten to 6th grade in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, part of the Edmonds School District. The school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for several consecutive years.

Challenge Elementary students consistently outperform their peers in the Edmonds School District and the state of Washington on standardized tests, with 97.06% of all students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 95.59% proficient or better in math, compared to district and state averages around 50%. The school has a diverse student population, with significant representation of Asian (33.33%) and White (46.27%) students, and a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (10.7%) compared to nearby schools like Chase Lake Elementary (58.59%) and College Place Elementary (73.55%). However, Challenge Elementary has a higher student-teacher ratio of 42.1 students per teacher, in contrast with lower ratios at schools like Terrace Park Elementary (9.8).

Despite its diverse racial makeup, Challenge Elementary has maintained its top ranking among Washington elementary schools for over a decade, suggesting that the school is effectively serving students from various backgrounds. The low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at the school may indicate a higher socioeconomic status of the student population, which could contribute to its exceptional academic performance. The higher student-teacher ratio at Challenge Elementary compared to nearby schools may also point to a unique instructional approach or resource allocation that enables the school to maintain its high academic standards.

Detail:

Public K-6

5409 228th St SW
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-5251

(425) 431-7157

District: Edmonds School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1^st of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $4,531

Student/teacher ratio: 42.1

Number of students: 402

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.3%

Asian:

33.3%

Two or more races:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.7%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Challenge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Challenge Elementary ranks better than 99.9% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Edmonds School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.53. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (46.3%), Asian (33.3%), two or more races (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Edmonds School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenge Elementary is 42.1, which is the highest among 24 elementary schools in the Edmonds School District! (See more...)

Compare Challenge Elementary employs 9.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenge Elementary is $4,531, which is the lowest among 24 elementary schools in the Edmonds School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Challenge Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenge Elementary 1^st of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Challenge Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Edmonds School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Edmonds School District 76^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Challenge Elementary.

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Rank History for Challenge Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Challenge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	98.44	1^st	1026	99.9%
2005	97.91	2^nd	1031	99.8%
2006	98.01	1^st	1051	99.9%
2007	98.42	1^st	1069	99.9%
2008	98.42	1^st	1067	99.9%
2009	98.33	1^st	1072	99.9%
2010	98.87	1^st	1088	99.9%
2011	98.37	1^st	1092	99.9%
2012	97.79	2^nd	1097	99.8%
2013	97.80	1^st	1106	99.9%
2021	99.61	1^st	1107	99.9%
2022	99.43	1^st	1169	99.9%
2024	99.53	1^st	1168	99.9%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Asian students at Challenge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	96.64	1^st	131	99.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Challenge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	95.92	3^rd	833	99.6%
2024	99.21	1^st	1009	99.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary 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: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 18, 2014

Teachers and principal here are generally well meaning but this program is basically the same curriculum as traditional elementary programs in the district but a year ahead with higher expectations and a few adjustments in terms of projects and assignments. There are programs in states on the east coast that use Renzulli or other bona fied hi-cap/gifted approaches, so it can be done. However, for whatever reasons, the Edmonds School District chooses not to put resources towards a true gifted program with authentic, systemitized gifted instruction. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Challenge Elementary is a gifted school and the students passed a test to ensure their capabilities to be allowed to attend this school. Therefore, their scores should be high. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Challenge Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1994	121	2	18	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	143
1995	122	3	22	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	152
1996	122	3	22	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	152
1997	124	3	17	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	148
1998	122	3	21	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	151
1999	115	3	24	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	147
2000	124	1	25	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	155
2001	144	0	29	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	176
2002	137	1	46	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	188
2003	137	1	46	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	188
2004	129	1	60	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	192
2005	171	2	71	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	253
2006	149	3	71	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	232
2007	158	4	75	7	2	n/a	n/a	3	249
2008	150	3	81	5	1	n/a	n/a	3	243
2009	140	2	80	4	0	n/a	n/a	8	234
2010	138	4	78	2	1	n/a	n/a	24	247
2011	147	3	75	4	1	2	27	0	259
2012	162	5	71	8	1	0	34	0	281
2013	171	6	67	10	1	0	37	0	292
2014	177	6	73	13	1	0	39	0	309
2015	161	10	68	17	1	0	36	0	293
2016	173	12	78	19	0	0	36	0	318
2017	168	17	95	22	0	0	34	0	336
2018	158	19	97	21	0	0	36	0	331
2019	154	15	102	13	0	0	31	0	315
2020	160	12	109	10	0	0	32	0	323
2021	154	18	117	10	0	1	43	0	343
2022	162	16	112	11	0	1	42	0	344
2023	186	19	134	17	0	1	44	1	402

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 Challenge Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	143	0.0	n/a	n/a
1995	152	0.0	0.0	n/a
1996	152	0.0	0.0	n/a
1997	148	0.0	0.0	n/a
1998	151	0.0	0.0	n/a
1999	147	0.0	0.0	n/a
2000	155	0.0	0.0	n/a
2001	176	0.0	0.0	n/a
2002	188	0.0	n/a	n/a
2003	188	0.0	n/a	n/a
2004	192	0.0	n/a	n/a
2005	253	n/a	n/a	0
2006	232	0.0	n/a	0
2007	249	0.0	n/a	0
2008	243	n/a	n/a	0
2009	234	n/a	n/a	n/a
2010	247	n/a	n/a	n/a
2011	259	n/a	n/a	2.3
2012	281	n/a	n/a	6.8
2013	292	11.0	26.5	6.8
2014	309	n/a	n/a	7.8
2015	293	16.0	18.3	7.2
2016	318	14.0	22.7	8.8
2017	336	15.4	21.7	10.7
2018	331	13.1	25.1	11.2
2019	315	13.1	24.0	11.1
2020	323	12.1	26.6	9.3
2021	343	11.1	30.8	9.9
2022	344	9.5	36.0	7.8
2023	402	9.5	42.1	10.7

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 Challenge Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	143	0.0	n/a	n/a
1995	152	0.0	0.0	n/a
1996	152	0.0	0.0	n/a
1997	148	0.0	0.0	n/a
1998	151	0.0	0.0	n/a
1999	147	0.0	0.0	n/a
2000	155	0.0	0.0	n/a
2001	176	0.0	0.0	n/a
2002	188	0.0	n/a	n/a
2003	188	0.0	n/a	n/a
2004	192	0.0	n/a	n/a
2005	253	n/a	n/a	0
2006	232	0.0	n/a	0
2007	249	0.0	n/a	0
2008	243	n/a	n/a	0
2009	234	n/a	n/a	n/a
2010	247	n/a	n/a	n/a
2011	259	n/a	n/a	2.3
2012	281	n/a	n/a	6.8
2013	292	11.0	26.5	6.8
2014	309	n/a	n/a	7.8
2015	293	16.0	18.3	7.2
2016	318	14.0	22.7	8.8
2017	336	15.4	21.7	10.7
2018	331	13.1	25.1	11.2
2019	315	13.1	24.0	11.1
2020	323	12.1	26.6	9.3
2021	343	11.1	30.8	9.9
2022	344	9.5	36.0	7.8
2023	402	9.5	42.1	10.7

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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