Enrollment
52
High
DISTRICT 760 · STATE 796
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WACO ISD·NCES 484428007397
Challenge Academy
2015 ALEXANDER AVE, WACO, TX 76708 · (254) 754-0803 · McLennan County
GRADES 07–12HIGH12-CITYTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL52 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
13.4:1
4 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 28.8:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
92%
48 students
DISTRICT 89% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 4 | 8% |
| Grade 8 | 5 | 10% |
| Grade 9 | 23 | 44% |
| Grade 10 | 12 | 23% |
| Grade 11 | 3 | 6% |
| Grade 12 | 5 | 10% |
Student demographics
55%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 63% · 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
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
0.0%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 0.0% | 0.0% | 33.0% | 67.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 0.0% | N/A |
| 2024-25 | 6.0% | 0.0% |
| 2023-24 | 0.0% | N/A |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where Challenge Academy ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In McLennan County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 52 | #1,729 of 2,107 | #26 of 34 |
Ranked against other public high 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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
52
+45 (+643%) vs 2020
-25% since 2000-01, when it was 69
Student : Teacher
13.4:1
was 1.8:1
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 | 52 | 3.9 | 13.4:1 | 92% (48) |
| 2023-24 | 30 | 3 | 10.0:1 | 90% (27) |
| 2022-23 | 25 | 3 | 8.3:1 | 88% (22) |
| 2020-21 | 7 | 4 | 1.8:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 22 | 4 | 5.5:1 | 82% (18) |
| 2015-16 | 15 | 3 | 5.0:1 | 80% (12) |
| 2010-11 | 28 | 13 | 2.1:1 | 89% (25) |
| 2000-01 | 69 | N/A | N/A | 39% (27) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Challenge Academy.
Since 2017-18: students up 136% (22 to 52); teachers down 3% (4 to 3.9).
About Challenge Academy
Challenge Academy is a public high school in WACO, Texas. The school covers grades 7 through 12 and reported 52 students in 2024-25. Across high schools in Texas, the average enrollment is about 796.
Challenge Academy is in WACO ISD, a district with 13,476 students across 24 schools.
Hispanic students are 52% of those enrolled at Challenge Academy. The next largest groups are 42% Black and 6% White. In McLennan County overall, about 27% of residents are Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 55, compared with 70 nationally.
With 3.9 full-time-equivalent teachers, the student-to-teacher ratio is about 13.4:1. The average for high schools in Texas is 15.1:1, so this school has fewer students per teacher. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at Challenge Academy, 92% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Across public schools in McLennan County, the average is 62%.
American Community Survey estimates for McLennan County show that the median household earns about $66,643 a year, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 29%, and roughly 11% of residents are in poverty. Across McLennan County, 124 public schools serve about 45,703 students.
Measured in a straight line, Challenge Academy is less than a tenth of a mile from Challenge Academy. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
Under the NCES locale system, Challenge Academy is City: Mid-size.
In 2020-21, federal data counted 7 students at Challenge Academy; in 2024-25, 52. The grades served may not have been the same in both years. Students per teacher increased from 1.8 in 2020-21 to 13.4 in 2024-25.
This community page is for conversations about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
McLennan County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
266,067
Census ACS
Median income
$66,643
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
124
45,703 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in WACO ISD
- Waco High SchoolHigh · 1,885 students
- University High SchoolHigh · 1,752 students
- Tennyson Middle SchoolMiddle · 963 students
- Bell's Hill Elementary SchoolElementary · 786 students
- Cesar Chavez Middle SchoolMiddle · 786 students
- Lake Air Montessori SchoolElementary · 734 students
Other schools in WACO
- Midway High SchoolHigh · 2,687 students
- Waco High SchoolHigh · 1,885 students
- University High SchoolHigh · 1,752 students
- Tennyson Middle SchoolMiddle · 963 students
- La Vega High SchoolHigh · 881 students
- Bell's Hill Elementary SchoolElementary · 786 students
Other Challenge Academy schools
5 other US public schools in 1 state are named Challenge Academy. Challenge Academy is the largest of the 6.
- Challenge AcademyWACO, TX · 2 students
- Challenge AcademyWACO, TX · 2 students
- Challenge AcademyWACO, TX · 1 students
- Challenge AcademyWACO, TX · 1 students
- Challenge AcademyWACO, TX · 1 students
Nearby schools
- Challenge Academy0.0 mi · 1
- Challenge Academy0.0 mi · 1
- McLennan County Challenge Academy0.0 mi · 1
- Challenge Academy0.0 mi · 2
- Methodist Children's Home0.7 mi · 96
- Waco Center for Youth0.8 mi · 69
Frequently asked questions
About Challenge AcademyHow large is Challenge Academy?
Challenge Academy enrolls approximately 52 students in grades 07-12.
Is Challenge Academy an elementary, middle, or high school?
Challenge Academy is a high school covering grades 07-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenge Academy?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Challenge Academy is approximately 13.4:1 (4 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Challenge Academy?
At Challenge Academy, the student body is approximately 6% White, 52% Hispanic, 42% Black.
What district is Challenge Academy in?
Challenge Academy is part of WACO ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.