Challenger High School

A small high school in Spanaway, Washington, Challenger High School is part of Bethel School District. The school serves 318 students in grades 7 through 12 in 2024-25. The average among high schools in Washington is roughly 573 students; this school is 45% smaller than that.

Bethel School District is the district for Challenger High School. It has 39 schools and 21,732 students.

At Challenger High School, the largest share of students is White, at 49%. It is also 24% Hispanic, 16% multiracial, 4% Black, and 2% Pacific Islander. For comparison, the population of Pierce County is roughly 64% White. Pick two students at random and there is a 66% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.

Its 20 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 15.9:1. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 21.6:1 average for high schools in Washington. The school's lunch program data list 62% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The rate at public schools in Pierce County averages 50%, lower than here.

Pierce County has about 930,319 residents, and the median household income is $99,564, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 31% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. In all, Pierce County has 287 public schools and roughly 138,462 students.

Nearby, Camas Prairie Elementary is about 0.3 miles away. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles.

The federal government classifies Challenger High School's location as Suburb: Large.

Challenger High School's enrollment grew from 254 in 2020-21 to 318 in 2024-25. There were fewer students per teacher in 2024-25 (15.9:1) than in 2020-21 (16.9:1).

Conversations here can range across enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.