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Public elementary school · Nogales Unified District (4457) · Nogales, Arizona

Challenger Elementary School

Challenger Elementary School rates 4.7, below most Nogales Unified District (4457) elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.7this school

4.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Nogales Unified District (4457) median is 6.8.

#1,709 of 2,019 schools in Arizona · Nogales Unified District (4457): 6 elementary schools rated, median 6.8

The brief

A Nogales Unified District (4457) elementary school where students score 25 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,709 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 9 of 11 in Nogales Unified District (4457).

Challenger Elementary School is listed in Nogales Unified District (4457), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math22%16 points below the Arizona average of 38%2025 AASA
Reading28%12 points below the Arizona average of 40%2025 AASA
Proficiency has held near 25% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 AASA; 43 test records from AZ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.1
50% of the rating
Academics
5.6
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, 2019–2025

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 35% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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 · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • 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 85621; 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, 2009-2025; 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
$41,309
Median home value
$173,600
Median rent
$700/mo
College educated
18.5%
Homeownership
50.7%
Poverty rate
25%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85621; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
12
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
13
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,292/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Nogales. 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 (Nogales), 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

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.0Compare →
  2. 6.9Compare →
  3. 6.7Compare →
  4. Colegio Petite Arizona1.8 mi · charter
    6.5Compare →
  5. Mexicayotl Charter School1.1 mi · charter
    5.3Compare →
  6. 4.9Compare →
  7. Challenger Elementary Schoolthis school
    4.7
  8. 3.9Compare →
  9. 3.6Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and six 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.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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 Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Challenger Elementary School?

Challenger Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 376 students.

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

The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Elementary School is 14.5:1. 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 AZ?

Challenger Elementary School ranks #1,709 of 2,019 schools in AZ.

What is Challenger Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Challenger Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 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 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
376
Student-teacher ratio
14.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
26
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Town
County
Santa Cruz County
Rank in district
#9 of 11
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$9,157
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
30.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 85621)
21,512
Area average commute
20 min
Area median age
37.5

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

Related reading

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