CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of the compact elementary campuss in CHALLIS, Idaho, run under CHALLIS JOINT DISTRICT, with 173 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 48% leaner than the state mean of about 332.

CHALLIS JOINT DISTRICT runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 332 students. CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

Demographically, CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (89%). Other groups include 6% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.4:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 18.1:1 average. Around 54% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

In the area at large, census data for Custer County shows median household income runs about $67,574, about 29% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. In all, Custer County runs 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 550 students), of which CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is CHALLIS JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.2 miles away.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. CHALLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has held roughly steady since 2018, when it stood at 170 (now 173). Class-load math has fell: from 18.5:1 in 2018 to 12.4:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.