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Challenge Academy

Public Grades 7-12

1895^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 6% of Texas high schools

Summary

Challenge Academy in Waco, TX, is a small alternative high school serving grades 7-12 with just 52 students, and it operates within the Waco Independent School District (Isd) as a specialized campus for students who have struggled in traditional settings.

The most remarkable thing about Challenge Academy is its ability to keep students in school. While nearby schools like Waco High School and Premier H S Of Waco have dropout rates between 2.7% and 4.0%, Challenge Academy has maintained a perfect 0.0% dropout rate for five straight years. This is especially impressive when compared to Methodist Children's Home, a similar alternative school just 0.74 miles away, which has a 7.7% dropout rate. The school also offers very small class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1, much lower than University High School (14.1:1) or Harmony School Of Innovation - Waco (16.1:1). However, academic test scores are critically low, with proficiency rates near 0% in most subjects, though there are small bright spots in Biology (23.53% proficient) and English II (26.32% proficient).

The school's spending tells a puzzling story. In 2018-2019, it spent an extraordinary $31,620 per student—nearly three times what Waco High School spends—but this investment didn't translate into higher test scores. The following year, spending dropped 90% to just $3,130 per student, a dramatic change that needs explanation. For context, Paul And Jane Meyer Public High School serves a similar student population but achieves much better results (69th percentile rank, 97.7% graduation rate), showing that small size and high needs don't automatically mean low performance. Challenge Academy appears to prioritize keeping at-risk students enrolled over achieving high test scores, making it a vital safety net for students who might otherwise leave school entirely.

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,933

Per pupil spending ?

92.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2015 Alexander Ave
Waco, TX 76708

(254) 754-0803

District: Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.9%

African American:

42.3%

White:

5.8%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2019 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (15% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Reading scores 54 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg33%

Texas avg58%

1,895^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▬ steady since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High Schools in the Waco Independent School District (Isd)

905^th of 951Waco Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

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

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	4.6	1895 of 2009	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.1	1959 of 1974	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.5	1964 of 1990	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.5	1958 of 1961	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.3	1826 of 1876	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.8	1749 of 1857	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	967 of 1086	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	1062 of 1069	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	8.3	1785 of 1837	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.2	1793 of 1810	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	6.7	1780 of 1936	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	6.2	1742 of 1860	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.2	1804 of 1820	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.7	1692 of 1762	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	5.9	1823 of 1937	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.0	1510 of 1513	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.9	1886 of 1897	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.6	1786 of 1847	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.9	1771 of 1818	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	3.9	1860 of 1954	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.7	1508 of 1515	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.9	1909 of 1913	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.2	1770 of 1853	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.2	1703 of 1824	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

At Risk (2022)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2022)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2022)1st percentile~ school

High school

African American (2026)11th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)6th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)6th percentile~ school

Male (2026)5th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

English II Reading26%-34 vs state

Biology24%-47 vs state

U.S. History20%-50 vs state

English I Reading14%-41 vs state

Reading0%-54 vs state

Mathematics0%-29 vs state

Algebra I0%-54 vs state

★

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Schools Near Challenge Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Challenge Academy	Public	7-12	2015 Alexander Ave	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 754-0803	52	4	13.4	92.3%	3 (5.8%)	22 (42.3%)	27 (51.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.6	1895^th of 2009 public high schools	5.7%		2.1	1959^th of 1974 public high schools	0.8%	64	0.0	23.5	14.3	26.3	20.0		0.0			0.0			$19,933
Methodist Children's Home	Public, Charter	6-12	1111 Herring Ave	Waco	76708	McLennan County	University Of Texas University Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 498-8738	96	11	8.7		28 (29.2%)	31 (32.3%)	33 (34.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	2 (2.1%)	7	1840^th of 2009 public high schools	8.4%		9.8	1789^th of 1974 public high schools	9.4%	51	10.5	21.4	18.8	33.3	31.8	40.0	25.0	30.8		0.0	8.3	0.0	$13,140
Waco Center For Youth	Public	7-12	3501 N 19th St	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Axtell Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 745-5339	69	7	9.8	47.8%	43 (62.3%)	11 (15.9%)	12 (17.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.3%)	11.2	1777^th of 2009 public high schools	11.5%		2.8	1928^th of 1974 public high schools	2.3%	151	0.0	27.8	16.7	36.4	57.1		20.0	5.9			6.7	0.0	$15,404
Premier H S Of Waco	Public, Charter	9-12	4720 N 19th St	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Premier High Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 752-0441	128	6	20.1	84.4%	31 (24.2%)	25 (19.5%)	70 (54.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	16.5	1701^st of 2009 public high schools	15.3%		14.6	1701^st of 1974 public high schools	13.8%		19.1	20.0	15.4	23.3	58.1								$8,276
Waco High School	Public	9-12	2020 N 42nd St	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 776-1150	1,885	140	13.4	83.7%	156 (8.3%)	559 (29.7%)	1,121 (59.5%)	7 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (2.1%)	13.7	1748^th of 2009 public high schools	13.0%		14.6	1702^nd of 1974 public high schools	13.8%	46	27.4	39.4	27.5	32.4	47.6								$10,225
Paul And Jane Meyer Public High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1020 Elm Ave Bld 500	Waco	76704	McLennan County	Rapoport Academy Public School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 754-2288	233	26	9.0	56.2%	48 (20.6%)	53 (22.7%)	122 (52.4%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	62.3	617^th of 2009 public high schools	69.3%		63.9	576^th of 1974 public high schools	70.8%	41	54.4	78.3	68.1	66.0	69.8								$16,912
Harmony School Of Innovation - Waco	Public, Charter	6-12	1100 S Valley Mills Dr	Beverly Hills	76711	McLennan County	Harmony Public Schools - North Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 235-0321	614	38	16.1	86.2%	77 (12.5%)	55 (9.0%)	461 (75.1%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	42.3	1182^nd of 2009 public high schools	41.2%		33.8	1301^st of 1974 public high schools	34.1%	119	46.0	63.2	48.2	53.0	71.8	30.9	31.0	42.3	31.8	2.7	44.0	9.4	$11,499
Bosqueville High School	Public	9-12	7636 Rock Creek Rd	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Bosqueville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 757-3113	227	19	11.8	29.1%	157 (69.2%)	7 (3.1%)	56 (24.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	50.7	927^th of 2009 public high schools	53.9%		67.3	488^th of 1974 public high schools	75.3%	439	7.1	58.6	60.3	70.0	81.5								$13,273
La Vega High School	Public	9-12	555 N Loop 340	Waco	76705	McLennan County	La Vega Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 299-6820	881	64	13.6	88.3%	97 (11.0%)	241 (27.4%)	518 (58.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.3%)	28.2	1514^th of 2009 public high schools	24.6%		21.5	1576^th of 1974 public high schools	20.2%	62	28.5	56.9	46.3	41.0	58.7								$10,069
University High School	Public	9-12	3201 S New Rd	Waco	76706	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 756-1843	1,752	123	14.1	83.9%	85 (4.9%)	393 (22.4%)	1,243 (70.9%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	24 (1.4%)	21	1636^th of 2009 public high schools	18.6%		24.2	1535^th of 1974 public high schools	22.2%	101	18.1	42.1	33.5	44.3	60.2								$9,521

Frequently Asked Questions about Challenge Academy

Is Challenge Academy a good school?

Challenge Academy ranks in the bottom 5.7% of Texas high schools.

How many students attend Challenge Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 52 students attended Challenge Academy.

What district is Challenge Academy in?

Waco Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Challenge Academy?

Students at Challenge Academy are 52% Hispanic, 42% African American, 6% White.

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

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.