Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Challenger Middle School

Q: Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 54 th of 439 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-9

54^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 439 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 88% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Challenger Middle School is a public middle school in Huntsville, Alabama, serving 428 students in grades 6-8. This school stands out as a high-performing institution within the Huntsville City School District, consistently outpacing district and state averages in academic assessments across multiple subjects and grade levels.

Challenger Middle School has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 20% of Alabama middle schools over the past several years. The school's academic performance is particularly impressive given that it serves a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, with 43.84% of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite this, Challenger Middle School ranks highly for African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students, often placing in the top quartile of Alabama middle schools for these subgroups.

When compared to other middle schools in the Huntsville City district, Challenger Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution. For example, Hampton Cove Middle School, located just 5.32 miles away, consistently outperforms Challenger Middle School and the district as a whole in academic assessments, ranking among the top 5 middle schools in Alabama. Challenger Middle School's success may be attributed to its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.4 to 18.2 over the past few years, which is comparable to or better than many of the nearby middle schools.

425

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,912

Per pupil spending ?

35.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13555 Chaney Thompson Rd
Huntsville, AL 35803

(256) 428-7620

District: Huntsville City

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually attend:

High:

Virgil Grissom High School

Feeder schools for Challenger Middle School:

Elementary:	Challenger Elementary School
	Farley Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.5%

African American:

22.8%

Hispanic:

15.5%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Challenger Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2015 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (57% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Alabama middle schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school57%

District avg42%

Alabama avg42%

54^th of 439

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7Middle Schools in the Huntsville City

79^th of 135Huntsville City among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	82.0	54 of 439	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	61 of 442	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	85 of 437	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.5	70 of 432	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	69.5	91 of 440	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	84.2	49 of 437	88.8%	★★★★☆
2018	82.7	54 of 423	87.2%	★★★★☆
2017	79.3	67 of 432	84.5%	★★★★☆
2016	87.4	40 of 432	90.7%	★★★★★
2015	88.4	40 of 430	90.7%	★★★★★
2014	84.6	42 of 438	90.4%	★★★★★
2013	78.6	49 of 436	88.8%	★★★★☆
2012	83.9	36 of 436	91.7%	★★★★★
2011	83.8	34 of 435	92.2%	★★★★★
2010	86.0	29 of 435	93.3%	★★★★★
2009	92.3	10 of 425	97.6%	★★★★★
2008	86.8	25 of 417	94.0%	★★★★★
2007	88.9	20 of 412	95.1%	★★★★★
2006	93.2	15 of 409	96.3%	★★★★★
2005	93.0	14 of 415	96.6%	★★★★★
2004	94.3	12 of 407	97.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	72.8	41 of 259	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	54.3	91 of 269	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	73 of 263	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	54.4	87 of 271	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.6	110 of 266	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	65 of 252	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	52.9	92 of 247	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	35.7	135 of 205	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	62.6	8 of 22	63.6%	★★★★☆
2017	45.5	8 of 14	42.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	68 of 415	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	79.3	60 of 426	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.6	96 of 417	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	92 of 423	78.3%	★★★★☆
2021	64.0	116 of 415	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	58 of 399	85.5%	★★★★☆
2018	82.9	48 of 392	87.8%	★★★★☆
2017	76.9	60 of 380	84.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	81.8	18 of 173	89.6%	★★★★★
2024	85.5	11 of 164	93.3%	★★★★★
2023	60.4	53 of 166	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	37 of 157	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	55.7	58 of 154	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.6	21 of 124	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	14 of 113	87.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	74.1	76 of 428	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.1	112 of 437	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	44.8	223 of 410	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	265 of 421	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.0	209 of 415	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.4	33 of 396	91.7%	★★★★★
2018	72.7	79 of 396	80.1%	★★★★☆
2017	59.5	107 of 349	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	83.1	52 of 422	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	80.1	61 of 428	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.7	75 of 419	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	61 of 427	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	70.2	85 of 418	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	43 of 399	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.9	52 of 397	86.9%	★★★★☆
2017	78.0	56 of 380	85.3%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	59.9	18 of 43	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	14 of 26	46.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	80.3	16 of 92	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	27 of 72	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.8	10 of 60	83.3%	★★★★☆
2021	49.4	31 of 61	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.4	19 of 46	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	86.8	18 of 271	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	91.1	9 of 281	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	68.4	48 of 281	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.0	25 of 256	90.2%	★★★★★
2021	75.1	25 of 274	90.9%	★★★★★
2019	75.4	24 of 254	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	67.4	42 of 223	81.2%	★★★★☆
2017	62.1	37 of 195	81.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	81.0	55 of 377	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.9	46 of 373	87.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	78 of 370	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.3	75 of 376	80.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	92 of 369	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.7	44 of 343	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	54 of 331	83.7%	★★★★☆
2017	68.8	52 of 247	78.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2025)93rd percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)90th percentile~ school

Male (2025)88th percentile~ school

White (2025)85th percentile~ school

African American (2025)84th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)84th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)83rd percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2021)64th percentile-16 vs school

Military Connected (2025)58th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

English75%+19 vs state

Science65%+24 vs state

Mathematics37%+10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Challenger Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, February 4, 2010

This school deserves to be in the top ten! The teachers are amazing and the students are exceptional! You should check your facts on this school! Close Quote

Schools Near Challenger Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)			Summative Assessment Science (2025)	Summative Assessment English (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Challenger Middle School	Public	6-9	13555 Chaney Thompson Rd	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7620	425	23	18.4	35.3%	219 (51.5%)	97 (22.8%)	66 (15.5%)	14 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.8%)	82	54^th of 439 public middle schools	87.7%		81.4	61^st of 442 public middle schools	86.2%	7	46.7	39.4	25.0	65.3	76.7	80.9	66.0	$8,912	$1,270	$7,641
Mountain Gap Middle School	Public	6-8	821 Mountain Gap Road SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7720	366	23	15.9	33.6%	234 (63.9%)	63 (17.2%)	36 (9.8%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	88	44^th of 439 public middle schools	90.0%		89.1	35^th of 442 public middle schools	92.1%	9	53.5	50.4	34.2	70.7	74.6	79.1	69.9	$7,782	$767	$7,014
Whitesburg Middle School	Public	6-8	107 Sanders Rd	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7780	535	29	18.4	57.9%	133 (24.9%)	170 (31.8%)	192 (35.9%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	32 (6.0%)	22.7	341^st of 439 public middle schools	22.3%		31.4	314^th of 442 public middle schools	29.0%	27	16.6	7.3	9.9	28.1	41.6	34.7	37.2	$8,356	$1,156	$7,199
Hampton Cove Middle School	Public	6-8	261 Old 431 Highway	Hampton Cove	35763	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-8380	785	35	22.4	10.8%	611 (77.8%)	36 (4.6%)	46 (5.9%)	31 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (7.5%)	97.4	6^th of 439 public middle schools	98.6%		96.8	11^th of 442 public middle schools	97.5%	5	66.2	71.0	57.9	75.9	85.7	93.0	88.4	$6,081	$152	$5,927
Huntsville Junior High School	Public	7-8	817 Adams St SE	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7700	530	26	20.7	50.0%	224 (42.3%)	207 (39.1%)	60 (11.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (6.8%)	45.7	238^th of 439 public middle schools	45.8%		57.9	158^th of 442 public middle schools	64.3%	80		21.1	19.0	30.8		53.8	50.2	$8,048	$1,306	$6,741
Morris Middle School	Public	6-8	4801 Bob Wallace Avenue	Huntsville	35805	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7340	397	25	15.8	74.1%	40 (10.1%)	134 (33.8%)	202 (50.9%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	15 (3.8%)	20.9	351^st of 439 public middle schools	20.0%		14	382^nd of 442 public middle schools	13.6%	31	21.5	6.1	2.3	17.3	41.4	42.3	36.0
Chapman Middle School	Public	6-8	2006 Reuben Dr NE	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7640	315	21	15.0	77.5%	33 (10.5%)	207 (65.7%)	56 (17.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.1%)	11.8	404^th of 439 public middle schools	8.0%		11.1	407^th of 442 public middle schools	7.9%	3	5.4	3.8	0.0	7.1	30.4	43.0	21.4
Williams Middle School	Public	6-8	155 Barren Fork Blvd SW	Huntsville	35824	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7330	659	30	21.9	49.9%	106 (16.1%)	397 (60.2%)	84 (12.7%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.4%)	57 (8.6%)	36.9	289^th of 439 public middle schools	34.2%		34.9	296^th of 442 public middle schools	33.0%	7	24.2	14.3	13.5	28.7	50.7	50.4	47.2	$7,969	$169	$7,799
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School	Public	6-8	4800 Sparkman Drive NE	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7600	270	20	13.8	43.7%	69 (25.6%)	145 (53.7%)	21 (7.8%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	29 (10.7%)	63.5	131^st of 439 public middle schools	70.2%		61.6	146^th of 442 public middle schools	67.0%	15	29.9	15.4	32.1	44.9	69.0	57.1	75.3
Academy For Science Foreign Language Middle School	Public	6-8	3221 Mastin Lake Road	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7000	194	13	14.9	47.9%	36 (18.6%)	109 (56.2%)	19 (9.8%)	4 (2.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (12.9%)	79.9	65^th of 439 public middle schools	85.2%		76.6	74^th of 442 public middle schools	83.3%	9	58.7	30.0	23.5	49.0	71.4	81.7	80.4

Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Middle School

What high school do graduates of Challenger Middle School attend?

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually go on to attend Virgil Grissom High School

How many students attend Challenger Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 425 students attended Challenger Middle School.

Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 54^th of 439 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Challenger Middle School?

Students at Challenger Middle School are 52% White, 23% African American, 16% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Challenger Middle School in?

Huntsville City

Rate Challenger Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ALAlabama Middle School Rankings

ALAlabama District Rankings

Schools in Huntsville, AL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Challenger Middle School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.