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What's the best and worst thing about the food at Challenger Middle?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
403
Middle
DISTRICT 424 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WILSONA ELEMENTARY·NCES 064281009208
Challenger Middle
41725 North 170th St. East, Lancaster, CA 93535 · (661) 264-1790 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL403 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
21.2:1
19 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.2:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
85%
341 students
DISTRICT 86% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 138 | 34% |
| Grade 7 | 136 | 34% |
| Grade 8 | 129 | 32% |
Student demographics
30%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 30% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Wilsona Elementary. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
20.0%
CA avg 49.1% . -4.0pp since 2014
Math
3.4%
CA avg 37.7% . -14.6pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 20 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 3 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 4 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 15 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 1.6% | 18.4% | 22.3% | 57.7% |
| Math | 0.8% | 2.6% | 15.3% | 81.3% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 20.0% | 3.4% |
| 2023-24 | 15.3% | 6.7% |
| 2022-23 | 16.3% | 5.4% |
| 2021-22 | 15.1% | 4.9% |
| 2018-19 | 26.8% | 12.8% |
| 2017-18 | 22.6% | 13.2% |
| 2016-17 | 26.9% | 19.6% |
| 2015-16 | 31.0% | 20.0% |
| 2014-15 | 24.0% | 18.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
11.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
30.0%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-18.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 11% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 30% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Challenger Middle
Challenger Middle's state test result (11.3% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenger Middle this school | 403 | 84.6% | 11.3% |
| Parkview Middle Armona | 443 | 83.3% | 24.7% |
| Seaside Middle Seaside | 521 | 83.5% | 25.5% |
| John F. Kennedy Junior High Hanford | 531 | 82.9% | 36.0% |
| Cooper Middle Fresno | 538 | 86.1% | 30.6% |
| Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle East Palo Alto | 488 | 89.3% | 8.8% |
Matched among California middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Challenger Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 11.3% | #1,199 of 1,224 | #246 of 248 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 3.4% | #1,221 of 1,227 ▼ 36 | #248 of 248 ▼ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 20.0% | #1,166 of 1,227 ▲ 30 | #244 of 248 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.7pp | #668 of 1,214 | #168 of 247 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 403 | #1,081 of 1,377 | #249 of 317 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.2:1 | #662 of 1,279 | #150 of 301 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 30.2% | #940 of 1,278 | #172 of 301 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 84.6% | #421 of 1,329 | #155 of 312 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -32.2% | #92 of 930 | #32 of 213 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
403
-191 (-32%) vs 2017
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 620
Student : Teacher
21.2:1
was 24.8:1
% White
8%
was 17%
% Hispanic
83%
was 67%
% Black
6%
was 10%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 403 | 19 | 21.2:1 | 85% (341) |
| 2023-24 | 553 | 22.8 | 24.3:1 | 96% (532) |
| 2022-23 | 573 | 22 | 26.1:1 | 98% (560) |
| 2017-18 | 594 | 24 | 24.8:1 | 91% (540) |
| 2015-16 | 553 | 20 | 27.6:1 | 95% (523) |
| 2010-11 | 665 | N/A | N/A | 100% (662) |
| 2000-01 | 685 | 29 | 23.6:1 | 64% (437) |
| 1990-91 | 620 | 26 | 23.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Challenger Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 32% (594 to 403); teachers down 21% (24 to 19).
About Challenger Middle
Challenger Middle is a low-enrollment middle school in Lancaster, California, one of the schools in Wilsona Elementary. Its 403 students are spread across grades 6 through 8. The school's enrollment is 39% smaller than the 659 average for middle schools in California.
Challenger Middle is one of 3 schools in Wilsona Elementary, which enrolls 1,271 students in total.
The student body at Challenger Middle is 83% Hispanic. Other groups make up 8% White and 6% Black. County-wide, 48% of Los Angeles County residents are Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 30% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
With 19 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, the ratio at Challenger Middle was 21.2:1. For comparison, middle schools in California average 20.7:1. Challenger Middle's free or reduced-price lunch eligibility rate is 85%. It compares with 70% for public schools in Los Angeles County.
On BeatsExpectations, which compares test results with what a school's student poverty level would predict, Challenger Middle ranks in the bottom 10% in California. Its average proficiency rate on state tests is 11.3%, against a prediction of 30.0%.
Within Los Angeles County, the median household income is $90,112, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 36% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. In all, Los Angeles County has 2,244 public schools and roughly 1,265,907 students.
The nearest other public school, Wilsona Elementary, is about 0.1 miles away. There are 3 more public schools inside five miles. Challenger Middle places 8th of 8 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Distant: in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Challenger Middle's enrollment dropped from 594 in 2017-18 to 403 in 2024-25. The Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 67% to 83% over the same period. Federal data show the ratio falling from 24.8:1 to 21.2:1.
Questions about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news can be posted here. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Wilsona Elementary
- Vista San Gabriel ElementaryElementary · 465 students
- Wilsona ElementaryElementary · 403 students
- Wilsona Achievement AcademyElementary
Other schools in Lancaster
- Assurance Learning AcademyHigh · 3,014 students
- Lancaster HighHigh · 2,688 students
- Eastside HighHigh · 2,631 students
- Antelope Valley HighHigh · 1,498 students
- Sundown ElementaryElementary · 941 students
- Amargosa Creek MiddleMiddle · 859 students
Other Challenger Middle schools
6 other US public schools in 5 states are named Challenger Middle. Challenger Middle is the 7th largest of the 7.
- Challenger MiddleSan Diego, CA · 960 students
- CHALLENGER MIDDLE SCHOOLCAPE CORAL, FL · 999 students
- Challenger Middle SchoolGLENDALE, AZ · 839 students
- Challenger Middle SchoolCOLORADO SPRINGS, CO · 696 students
- Challenger Middle SchoolTUCSON, AZ · 590 students
Nearby schools
- Wilsona Elementary0.1 mi · 403
- Vista San Gabriel Elementary2.1 mi · 465
- Lake Los Angeles Elementary3.8 mi · 533
- Littlerock High7.7 mi · 1,507
- Daisy Gibson Elementary8.6 mi · 714
- Antelope Elementary9.1 mi · 286
Frequently asked questions
About Challenger MiddleWhat is the total enrollment at Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle enrolls approximately 403 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Challenger Middle serve?
Challenger Middle serves grades 06-08.
How many teachers does Challenger Middle have?
Challenger Middle employs 19 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.2:1.
How diverse is Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle reports a student body of 8% White, 83% Hispanic, 6% Black, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Challenger Middle?
Challenger Middle is overseen by Wilsona Elementary in Los Angeles County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.