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Public elementary school · Huntsville City · Huntsville, Alabama

Challenger Elementary School

Challenger Elementary School rates 7.9, among the strongest elementary schools in Huntsville City, where the rated median is 6.4.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.9this school

7.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Huntsville City median is 6.4.

#204 of 1,360 schools in Alabama · Huntsville City: 25 elementary schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Huntsville City elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

It ranks 204 of 1,360 schools in Alabama and 8 of 43 in Huntsville City.

Challenger Elementary School is listed in Huntsville City, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math43%3 points above the Alabama average of 40%2026 ACAP
Reading71%8 points above the Alabama average of 63%2026 ACAP
Proficiency has held near 57% across the 2-year record (2025–2026).2026 ACAP; 48 test records from AL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.3
50% of the rating
Academics
7.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.4
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 55% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 66% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 35803; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Challenger Elementary School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$95,182
Median home value
$259,100
Median rent
$1,221/mo
College educated
54%
Homeownership
81.8%
Poverty rate
6.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 35803; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
6
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
0
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
56
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,669/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Huntsville. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Huntsville), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
44.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.7Compare →
  2. 8.0Compare →
  3. Challenger Elementary Schoolthis school
    7.9
  4. 7.5Compare →
  5. 6.2Compare →
  6. 5.9Compare →
  7. 5.0Compare →
Six grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Challenger Elementary School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Challenger Elementary School serve?

Challenger Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Challenger Elementary School?

Challenger Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 499 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 17.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Challenger Elementary School rank in AL?

Challenger Elementary School ranks #204 of 1,360 schools in AL.

What is Challenger Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Challenger Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Challenger Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Challenger Elementary School has 55% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 66% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Challenger Elementary School a charter school?

No, Challenger Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Challenger Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Challenger Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Challenger Elementary School?

44.5% of students at Challenger Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
499
Student-teacher ratio
17.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Madison County
Rank in district
#8 of 43
Schools in district
45
District spending per student
$13,146
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 35803)
29,283
Area average commute
21.6 min
Area median age
44.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Alabama Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.