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Challenger Middle School

Q: Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 439 th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

439^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 64% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Challenger Middle School in Cape Coral, FL, is a mid-sized public school serving 999 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Lee district, where it consistently outperforms its district peers despite the district ranking in the bottom 20% statewide.

Challenger stands out for its exceptional performance in advanced math and English Language Arts (ELA). In the 2025-2026 school year, 88% of students taking the Algebra 1 EOC were proficient, and 100% of Geometry EOC test-takers were proficient—dramatically higher than district and state averages. The school also excels in 7th-grade ELA, with 75% proficiency, tying with the high-performing Oasis Charter Middle School and far exceeding nearby schools like Lexington Middle School and Mariner Middle School. However, a notable pattern is a significant drop in math proficiency between 6th and 7th grade—from 61% to 49% in 2025-2026—which is more pronounced than at some peers like Gulf Middle School and Trafalgar Middle School. Civics is a consistent strength (83% proficiency), while 8th-grade science is only slightly above the state average.

The most critical red flag is chronic absenteeism, which has skyrocketed from 9.6% in 2019-2020 to 39.3% in 2023-2024—the highest rate among nearby competitors like Oasis Charter Middle School (16.8%) and Trafalgar Middle School (29.7%). This likely holds the school back from a higher state ranking. Despite a drop in free/reduced lunch eligibility from 52.71% to 41.54%, the school's ranking slipped from the 72nd to the 64th percentile, suggesting absenteeism is a key factor. With per-student spending of $10,614, Challenger is relatively efficient, outperforming Fort Myers Middle School (10th percentile) while spending less than Cypress Lake Middle School ($11,350).

999

Students ?

18.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,614

Per pupil spending ?

41.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

624 Trafalgar Pkwy
Cape Coral, FL 33991

(239) 242-4341

District: Lee

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually attend:

High:	Cape Coral High School
	Ida S. Baker High School
	Island Coast High School
	Mariner High School
	More...
	North Fort Myers High School

Feeder schools for Challenger Middle School:

Elementary:	Caloosa Elementary School
	Cape Elementary School
	Diplomat Elementary School
	Dr Carrie D Robinson Littleton Elementary School
	More...
	Gulf Elementary School
	Hancock Creek Elementary School
	Hector A. Cafferata Junior Elementary School
	J. Colin English Elementary School
	North Fort Myers Academy For The Arts
	Patriot Elementary School
	Pelican Elementary School
	Pine Island Elementary School
	Skyline Elementary School
	Trafalgar Elementary School
	Tropic Isles Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.2%

White:

41.8%

African American:

5.4%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Challenger Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (69% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Above the Florida median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg54%

Florida avg62%

439^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 18Middle Schools in the Lee

56^th of 70Lee among Florida 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	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	439 of 1216	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.7	340 of 1205	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	60.6	441 of 1196	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.1	459 of 1177	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	371 of 1148	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.9	364 of 1136	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.3	300 of 1099	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	73.0	256 of 1035	75.3%	★★★★☆
2017	67.5	313 of 1031	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.0	273 of 997	72.6%	★★★★☆
2014	73.4	238 of 999	76.2%	★★★★☆
2013	76.8	199 of 956	79.2%	★★★★☆
2012	71.2	245 of 897	72.7%	★★★★☆
2011	68.3	291 of 891	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.3	350 of 839	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.4	316 of 780	59.5%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Algebra 188%+25 vs state

Civics83%+6 vs state

English Language Arts67%+5 vs state

Math66%+8 vs state

Science56%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Challenger Middle School

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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)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Challenger Middle School	Public	6-8	624 Trafalgar Pkwy	Cape Coral	33991	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 242-4341	999	54	18.6	41.5%	418 (41.8%)	54 (5.4%)	462 (46.2%)	12 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.2%)	61.8	439^th of 1216 public middle schools	63.9%		68.7	340^th of 1205 public middle schools	71.8%	99	57.0	75.0	68.0	61.0	49.0	77.0	56.0	88.0		83.0	$10,614	$628	$9,986
Trafalgar Middle School	Public	6-8	2120 Trafalgar Pkwy	Cape Coral	33991	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 283-2001	962	52	18.6	34.2%	431 (44.8%)	45 (4.7%)	426 (44.3%)	15 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.6%)	63.1	422^nd of 1216 public middle schools	65.3%		59.7	468^th of 1205 public middle schools	61.2%	46	64.0	69.0	65.0	61.0	46.0	82.0	62.0	97.0		78.0	$10,820	$747	$10,073
Gulf Middle School	Public	6-8	1809 SW 36th Ter	Cape Coral	33914	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 549-0606	901	46	19.5	36.0%	429 (47.6%)	42 (4.7%)	368 (40.8%)	16 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	43 (4.8%)	58.2	497^th of 1216 public middle schools	59.1%		62.6	423^rd of 1205 public middle schools	64.9%	74	65.0	60.0	64.0	62.0	43.0	73.0	58.0	89.0		69.0	$10,178	$650	$9,528
Mariner Middle School	Public	6-8	425 Chiquita Blvd N	Cape Coral	33993	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 772-1848	691	33	21.2	48.8%	230 (33.3%)	45 (6.5%)	370 (53.5%)	14 (2.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.3%)	36.4	827^th of 1216 public middle schools	32.0%		37.3	782^nd of 1205 public middle schools	35.1%	45	55.0	48.0	54.0	53.0	38.0	55.0	42.0	91.0		59.0	$10,853	$558	$10,295
Oasis Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3507 Oasis Blvd	Cape Coral	33914	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 945-1999	846	44	19.2	23.5%	551 (65.1%)	26 (3.1%)	227 (26.8%)	13 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.2%)	80.7	188^th of 1216 public middle schools	84.5%		85.9	137^th of 1205 public middle schools	88.6%	51	76.0	75.0	78.0	85.0	44.0	86.0	68.0	96.0		85.0	$8,683	$00	$8,683
Caloosa Middle School	Public	6-8	610 Del Prado Blvd S	Cape Coral	33990	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 574-3232	1,018	49	20.7	57.7%	344 (33.8%)	108 (10.6%)	495 (48.6%)	16 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (5.0%)	33	873^rd of 1216 public middle schools	28.2%		30.6	878^th of 1205 public middle schools	27.1%	5	53.0	51.0	51.0	55.0	24.0	53.0	36.0	88.0		65.0	$10,764	$1,176	$9,589
Diplomat Middle School	Public	6-8	1039 NE 16th Ter	Cape Coral	33909	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 574-5257	1,097	50	21.8	49.0%	365 (33.3%)	88 (8.0%)	604 (55.1%)	13 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.2%)	43.4	722^nd of 1216 public middle schools	40.6%		48.3	616^th of 1205 public middle schools	48.9%	106	53.0	61.0	61.0	45.0	41.0	59.0	49.0	87.0		76.0	$10,107	$618	$9,491
Cypress Lake Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	8901 Cypress Lake Dr	Fort Myers	33919	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	No	(239) 481-1533	768	40	19.0	34.1%	382 (49.7%)	49 (6.4%)	295 (38.4%)	17 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.1%)	66.5	370^th of 1216 public middle schools	69.6%		66.9	357^th of 1205 public middle schools	70.4%	13	65.0	69.0	73.0	72.0	13.0	82.0	59.0	96.0	100.0	81.0	$11,350	$705	$10,645
Fort Myers Middle School	Public	6-8	3050 Central Ave	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 936-1759	687	33	20.8	62.9%	58 (8.4%)	328 (47.7%)	268 (39.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (4.1%)	15	1089^th of 1216 public middle schools	10.4%		12.6	1090^th of 1205 public middle schools	9.5%	1	30.0	34.0	34.0	25.0	29.0	50.0	27.0	89.0		56.0	$12,354	$1,692	$10,662
Lexington Middle School	Public	6-8	16351 Summerlin Rd	Fort Myers	33908	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 454-6130	1,054	52	20.1	38.3%	348 (33.0%)	112 (10.6%)	523 (49.6%)	32 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (3.6%)	37.3	817^th of 1216 public middle schools	32.8%		36.7	795^th of 1205 public middle schools	34.0%	22	48.0	55.0	57.0	46.0	41.0	57.0	47.0	83.0	95.0	81.0	$9,963	$573	$9,391

Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Middle School

How many students attend Challenger Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 999 students attended Challenger Middle School.

What district is Challenger Middle School in?

Lee

What high school do graduates of Challenger Middle School attend?

Students who attend Challenger Middle School usually go on to attend Cape Coral High School

What is the racial makeup of Challenger Middle School?

Students at Challenger Middle School are 46% Hispanic, 42% White, 5% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Challenger Middle School a good school?

Challenger Middle School ranks 439^th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Challenger Middle School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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