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Public middle school · Wilsona Elementary · Lancaster, California

Challenger Middle

Challenger Middle rates 4.5, right at the middle of Wilsona Elementary's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.5.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.5this school

4.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Wilsona Elementary median is 4.5.

#8,494 of 9,557 schools in California · Wilsona Elementary: 1 middle schools rated, median 4.5

The brief

A Wilsona Elementary middle school where students score 10 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 8,494 of 9,557 schools in California and 1 of 2 in Wilsona Elementary.

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

Math3%33 points below the California average of 36%2025 CAASPP
Reading20%29 points below the California average of 49%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 8 points since 2019, to 12% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 40 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.1
40% of the rating
Academics
3.1
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.1
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 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 16% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 25% (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 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. 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 93535; this does not measure the attendance area.

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 Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$65,989
Median home value
$336,200
Median rent
$1,650/mo
College educated
14.2%
Homeownership
65%
Poverty rate
15.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93535; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
27
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,394/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Lancaster. 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 (Lancaster), 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.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
96.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Challenger Middle serve?

Challenger Middle serves students in grades 5th through 8th.

How many students attend Challenger Middle?

Challenger Middle has an enrollment of approximately 553 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Middle is 25.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Challenger Middle rank in CA?

Challenger Middle ranks #8,494 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Challenger Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Challenger Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.5 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 Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Challenger Middle has 16% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 25% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Challenger Middle a charter school?

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

Is Challenger Middle a Title I school?

No, Challenger Middle is not currently a Title I school.

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

96.2% of students at Challenger Middle 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
5th – 8th
Enrollment
553
Student-teacher ratio
25.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Los Angeles County
Rank in district
#1 of 2
Schools in district
3
District spending per student
$20,459
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
25.5%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93535)
80,478
Area average commute
33.5 min
Area median age
31.9

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

Related reading

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