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Challenger Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

44^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 469 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 91% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

Challenger Middle School is a public middle school located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 652 students. It is part of the Academy School District No. 20, which is ranked 13th out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Challenger Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Colorado, with rankings ranging from 21st to 57th out of hundreds of schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) tests is significantly higher than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, particularly in English Language Arts and Science. For example, in 2024-2025, Challenger Middle School had 68.7% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 44.8% statewide and 61.1% in the Academy School District No. 20.

Challenger Middle School's performance is consistently strong across different student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students. The school's performance for gifted and talented students is also noteworthy, with a ranking of 16th out of 132 Colorado middle schools in 2024-2025. However, the school has experienced an increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 19.0% in 2022-2023 to 27.7% in 2023-2024, which is an area for improvement. Overall, Challenger Middle School is a high-performing middle school that consistently delivers excellent academic outcomes for its students.

696

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,752

Per pupil spending ?

16.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10215 Lexington Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-2417

(719) 234-3000

District: Academy School District No. 20

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually attend:

High:

Pine Creek High School

Feeder schools for Challenger Middle School:

Elementary:	Chinook Trail Elementary School
	Edith Wolford Elementary School
	Mountain View Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.2%

Hispanic:

14.5%

Two or more races:

7.8%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Challenger Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2015 → 91st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (64% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of Colorado middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Academy School District No. 20

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg56%

Colorado avg40%

44^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 9%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 5% (2015) to top 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 8Middle Schools in the Academy School District No. 20

13^th of 115Academy School District No. 20 among Colorado 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	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	88.7	44 of 469	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	92.7	29 of 485	94.0%	★★★★★
2023	84.8	56 of 480	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.4	57 of 448	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	82.8	47 of 369	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	87.8	40 of 458	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	89.8	27 of 418	93.5%	★★★★★
2017	89.7	34 of 424	92.0%	★★★★★
2016	91.8	22 of 400	94.5%	★★★★★
2015	94.0	21 of 436	95.2%	★★★★★
2014	89.4	33 of 461	92.8%	★★★★★
2013	86.1	49 of 454	89.2%	★★★★☆
2012	81.3	64 of 425	84.9%	★★★★☆
2011	80.9	70 of 422	83.4%	★★★★☆
2010	82.5	56 of 409	86.3%	★★★★☆
2009	82.0	54 of 377	85.7%	★★★★☆
2008	82.1	54 of 362	85.1%	★★★★☆
2007	87.3	34 of 360	90.6%	★★★★★
2006	84.1	46 of 346	86.7%	★★★★☆
2005	85.3	35 of 340	89.7%	★★★★☆
2004	84.5	43 of 336	87.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	75.7	7 of 26	73.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	83.4	43 of 347	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	88.4	32 of 350	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	74.8	77 of 363	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	69 of 326	78.8%	★★★★☆
2021	80.0	34 of 254	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	31 of 352	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.3	25 of 315	92.1%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	74.9	16 of 132	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	80.5	4 of 126	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	75.4	19 of 125	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	3 of 93	96.8%	★★★★★
2019	70.1	30 of 134	77.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	23 of 121	81.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	94.7	11 of 218	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	95.1	8 of 199	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	83.5	20 of 198	89.9%	★★★★★
2022	88.9	9 of 169	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	95.0	4 of 83	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	95.8	8 of 220	96.4%	★★★★★
2018	95.5	6 of 165	96.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	85.2	13 of 241	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	89.5	12 of 244	95.1%	★★★★★
2018	86.6	12 of 222	94.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	86.6	42 of 352	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	91.0	25 of 357	93.0%	★★★★★
2023	84.1	40 of 356	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	43 of 328	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	71.9	53 of 249	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	83.1	47 of 343	86.3%	★★★★☆
2018	86.9	28 of 317	91.2%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	6 of 23	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	63.1	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	72.0	63 of 275	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	82.4	34 of 273	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.4	65 of 286	77.3%	★★★★☆
2022	63.6	76 of 265	71.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	59 of 203	70.9%	★★★★☆
2019	71.7	63 of 283	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	37 of 199	81.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)95th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)88th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)88th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)88th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)77th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)74th percentile-17 vs school

Asian (2025)73rd percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts69%+24 vs state

Math60%+24 vs state

Science60%+23 vs state

4.2

5 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, October 15, 2018

Great school, challenging all kids to work hard and to perform. Engaged administration, teachers and parents! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, August 14, 2017

This school is great. We transferred from the lauded Cherry Creek school district in Denver and were amazed at how much more attentive and structured D20 and Challenger MS were comparatively Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 16, 2016

Worst school ever! Unless your child is gifted... Yes, my student with an IEP in Reading, Language Arts and Math. Received an F & D even though they had an IEP in these areas and has a Para. School refuses to listen to what was successful in previous schools. Child had all B's & some A & C's in previous school. There Special Education program stinks!!! Group size services and there is definitely no "individualized" services. Assistant Principal refuses to listen to suggestions and is very condescending. So disappointed with placing my child in this school. Worst decision ever! Close Quote

by a citizen
Friday, January 30, 2015

excellent school. Caring administration and teachers. Lots of extra help offered if students need it. Terrific counseling department. Sports, Gifted program, band, choir, all fantastic and available to students. 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)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)				CMAS Math (2025)				CMAS Science (2025)	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 (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	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Challenger Middle School	Public	6-8	10215 Lexington Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-3000	696	41	17.1	16.8%	468 (67.2%)	24 (3.4%)	101 (14.5%)	46 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	54 (7.8%)	88.7	44^th of 469 public middle schools	90.6%		92.7	29^th of 485 public middle schools	94.0%	15	65.2	68.3	73.3	68.7	59.3	58.1	62.0	59.8	59.7	$12,752
Mountain Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	9150 Lexington Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-3200	690	44	15.8	35.2%	398 (57.7%)	28 (4.1%)	169 (24.5%)	27 (3.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	63 (9.1%)	63.5	145^th of 469 public middle schools	69.1%		67.7	133^rd of 485 public middle schools	72.6%	12	47.4	63.1	51.8	54.7	32.4	44.7	38.5	39.0	42.9	$13,158
Village Middle School	Public, Virtual	6-8	3475 Hampton Park Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	Yes	No	(719) 234-1940	163	6	26.2	16.0%	124 (76.1%)	4 (2.5%)	23 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.5%)	75.7	96^th of 469 public middle schools	79.5%		91.9	32^nd of 485 public middle schools	93.4%	64	57.9			70.0	40.0			37.8	68.8	$13,719
Timberview Middle School	Public	6-8	8680 Scarborough Drive	Colorado Springs	80920	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-3600	837	51	16.5	31.8%	545 (65.1%)	25 (3.0%)	179 (21.4%)	22 (2.6%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	59 (7.0%)	64.5	142^nd of 469 public middle schools	69.7%		57.8	170^th of 485 public middle schools	64.9%	28	56.2	59.7	50.0	55.4	40.7	40.1	36.4	39.1	42.9	$12,204
Chinook Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	9750 Grand Lawn Circle	Colorado Springs	80924	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-1576	1,075	58	18.5	16.9%	653 (60.7%)	48 (4.5%)	185 (17.2%)	65 (6.0%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	115 (10.7%)	74.6	104^th of 469 public middle schools	77.8%		78.9	81^st of 485 public middle schools	83.3%	23	55.0	67.3	60.5	60.8	42.0	45.0	47.3	44.7	51.2	$10,904
The Classical Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	7-8	975 Stout Road	Colorado Springs	80921	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	Yes	No	No	No	(719) 484-0091	445	31	14.5	14.2%	362 (81.3%)	6 (1.3%)	37 (8.3%)	16 (3.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.5%)	86	51^st of 469 public middle schools	89.1%		87	50^th of 485 public middle schools	89.7%	1		72.7	66.4	69.8		58.3	50.3	54.7	56.3	$7,232
Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School	Public	6-8	1810 North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	80921	El Paso County	Academy School District No. 20	No	No	No	No	(719) 234-1810	821	50	16.5	18.1%	519 (63.2%)	27 (3.3%)	148 (18.0%)	57 (6.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	65 (7.9%)	90	39^th of 469 public middle schools	91.7%		87.5	47^th of 485 public middle schools	90.3%	8	68.6	64.7	74.6	69.2	60.0	53.0	77.7	63.4	67.5	$11,337
Jenkins Middle School	Public	6-8	6410 Austin Bluffs Parkway	Colorado Springs	80923	El Paso County	Colorado Springs School District No. 11	No	No	No	No	(719) 328-5300	791	41	19.2	43.6%	443 (56.0%)	40 (5.1%)	217 (27.4%)	15 (1.9%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	68 (8.6%)	60.3	155^th of 469 public middle schools	67.0%		57.3	173^rd of 485 public middle schools	64.3%	18	47.1	61.5	51.2	53.3	31.3	35.3	42.8	36.3	42.5	$15,954
Russell Middle School	Public	6-8	3825 East Montebello Drive	Colorado Springs	80918	El Paso County	Colorado Springs School District No. 11	No	No	No	No	(719) 328-5200	520	33	15.6	64.4%	236 (45.4%)	37 (7.1%)	198 (38.1%)	6 (1.2%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	37 (7.1%)	34.1	285^th of 469 public middle schools	39.2%		34.4	281^st of 485 public middle schools	42.1%	4	33.3	37.4	37.7	36.1	30.0	19.2	27.4	25.5	30.9	$17,985
Skyview Middle School	Public	6-8	6350 Windom Peak Boulevard	Colorado Springs	80923	El Paso County	El Paso County Colorado School District 49	No	No	No	No	(719) 495-5566	862	53	16.2	44.0%	389 (45.1%)	73 (8.5%)	249 (28.9%)	37 (4.3%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	106 (12.3%)	46.2	214^th of 469 public middle schools	54.4%		52.4	195^th of 485 public middle schools	59.8%	19	45.5	46.2	54.3	48.4	25.6	31.2	27.7	28.1	29.8	$11,241

Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Middle School

What district is Challenger Middle School in?

Academy School District No. 20

How many students attend Challenger Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 696 students attended Challenger Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Challenger Middle School?

Students at Challenger Middle School are 67% White, 15% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 3% African American.

Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Yes. Challenger Middle School ranks in the top 9.4% of Colorado middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Challenger Middle School attend?

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually go on to attend Pine Creek High School

Rate Challenger Middle School!

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