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Challenger Elementary School

Huntsville, AL 35803

Phone: (256) 428-7060
Fax: (256) 428-7064
District: Huntsville City School District

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GreatSchools Rating

public • Grades PK,KG,1,2,3,4,5 • 438 students

Challenger Elementary School, a public school located in Huntsville, AL, serves grades PK-5 in the Huntsville City School District.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 8 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.

Challenger Elementary School is a public school located in Huntsville, AL. 438 students attend Challenger Elementary School.

School Ratings

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	6/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program data from Alabama Department of Education.
Student Growth	10/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Alabama Department of Education.

Posted: November 15, 2025

We have had nothing but positive experiences at Challenger and with Ms. Joiner leading the team, things have only gotten better. She brings so much love and joy to the school which has trickled down to the teachers, admin and students. We couldnt ask for a better public school environment!

Posted: September 5, 2025

Front receptionist is completely rude and has a sour attitude everyday and nothing ever gets done about it. She obviously feels like she can present herself however she feels, talk to parents and possibly students however she wants. Creating a very unwelcoming environment and Im sure were not the first. Some teachers feel like they can be rude to students when all they did was show up to learn. would appreciate them being held accountable for their actions, not just the children attending, adults should be as well if not to a higher standard. Especially someone working at the forefront of the school!

Posted: June 9, 2024

Challenger is an awesome school lead by two phenomenal people Ms. Joiner and Ms. Warren. They are the dynamic duo that brings creativity and a lot of energy to the school! CES has a positive environment for students and families. I like the activeness and support of PTA. This school offers many opportunities for community partnership. I am proud to have been apart of the CES family!

Posted: June 9, 2024

I am so grateful that my child attends CES. He is surround by love and support of all administration and staff members! He had such a successful first year and I look forward to the continued progress he will make at CES. We specifically moved into this district to be zoned for CES and have been so pleased with the school and staff!

Posted: June 9, 2024

As a parent, I continually remain grateful that my children are able to attend Challenger. The positive learning environment radiates from open house to the last day of school- all thanks to the faculty, admin and community who support these kiddos so well. We have so many families who are involved in a wide variety of ways- our PTA was even awarded multiple awards for community involvement this past year. I trust that my babies are safe at school and that they are getting the best education thanks to their teachers and every staff member who is bought in to the school culture to aim high. Our new school counselor and volunteers run a care closet that benefits our families who need it. One of our special education teachers was teacher of the year and our SLPs are top notch. The principal, Ms. Joiner is a gift to Challenger through the way that she does anything needed, whether its a complex administrative job or setting up cafeteria tables or cleaning up after a family event. The love that my kids teachers have shown are what make them excited to come back to school each day, and our front office staff keeps the wheels turning for staff and families while loving on students too. Our PTA is simply the best and welcomes involvement!

Posted: June 9, 2024

My children and I have had a wonderful experience at Challenger Elementary! Ms. Joiner is a wonderful principal who cares about each one of her students and staff. All of the teachers my three kids have had are amazing! The PTA provides a ton of family engagement events like International Night, STEM Family night, a family glow dance, and so much more!

Posted: June 6, 2024

Challenger received a new principal in 2022, and a Vice Principal in 2023. (?) The change Ms. Joiner and Ms. Warren are making is electric. Leadership is everything. I can tell a difference in the teachers, and that trickles down to the students. Change sometimes takes time, but Challenger is on an upward momentum. I believe any reviews prior to 2022 are irrelevant to the way Challenger is today.

We moved to the area in 2015. Our children started at Challenger in pre-K. I didnt have any gripes about Challenger prior to our new principal, but I can feel the way it has changed since she arrived. The PTA is involved. Parent support is everything to a great elementary school. The STEAM PTA night is our favorite and our kids look forward to it every year. There are great traditions that our kids look forward to completing as they have watched their older siblings take part in the past. Ex: Snowman t-shirts for the Holiday program, 5th Grade Eagle Up and clap out, tie-dying field trip t-shirts, Pioneer Day. Etc.

There are lots of programs and volunteer opportunities for the older kids to get involved in from Book Buddies, Math Team, Student Council, Safety Team, Green Power Team, All State Chorus, just to name a few.

Have we had some issues? Yes. We had some bullying, but as soon as it was brought to the schools attention, it was dealt with. Have we had a teacher who wasnt MY favorite? Yes. However, every school has a teacher that isnt your favorite. (But my kids still liked them) It doesnt compare to the amount of AMAZING teachers that my kids have had. Not to mention the support staff. Librarian- Amazing! GATE- Superb! Specials-Thank you! The majority of teachers are involved and LOVE their students. Are there a few things I might change? Probably, but they are small things that I foresee changing by themselves, as Ms. Joiners efforts are felt.

My children are thriving at Challenger.
I am not on the PTA, but I am an involved parent. I believe that my kids get, what WE put into it. It takes a village and the schools cant do it alone.
As my oldest child has started the transition to middle school, I have loved that the school took one of the last weeks of the school year to help the kids with the transition. They did a Q/A, toured the school, met teachers, and even practiced with combination locks. I have heard great things about Challenger Middle from other parents.

Posted: February 13, 2021

Wonderful! Teachers and staff go above and beyond! Daughter attended all of elementary school.

Posted: February 13, 2021

Posted: June 11, 2020

The Principal, Dr. Wallace, is very hands-on. We have noticed her rolling up her sleeves to help prepare, work, and break down many events, such as Science Fairs, school dances, even regular lunch days when the students need help opening packets & containers.

Posted: June 11, 2020

We have deliberately stayed in this district for the benefit of our daughter's education. The teachers are spirited educators, involved day and night. We have greatly enjoyed the technological advances they've made for parents to stay involved with grades, assessments, etc.

Posted: June 11, 2020

Unable to express an opinion with homework as our child is only experienced K & 1st Grades.

Posted: January 10, 2017

They will not effectively even let you know if your child needs special help!

Posted: January 10, 2017

They do all agree on even what hinwwobahkuld be enough. My child's teacher last year thought they were sending home too much homework, but the others teachers didn't!

Posted: January 10, 2017

They do not have great parent/student/teacher/school communication!

Posted: May 16, 2016

I wish my kindergartner had more practice for home. It is hard to require kindergarteners to do homework and I'm ok with it, I just wish more practice would've been sent home. It's hard to align home with school when you're not totally sure what exactly they're doing, even with regularly updated newsletters.

Posted: May 16, 2016

I haven't seen much in the form of academic honesty, but my child is too young to understand the term. He is held responsible for being honest about daily behavior.

Posted: May 16, 2016

Being a teacher in this system, I tend to be critical. I have no real issues with this school as of now. My child is in kindergarten and I've been happy. He's been encouraged to participate in various activities (academic) that he's probably too young for. I also encouraged these activities because they were something to "work towards". By no means we're these things unachievable (science fair) but they were a little advanced for him. The school does a great job at including the little ones and rewarding their efforts.
The PTA does a great job reaching out to the school community and I appreciate all of the partnerships that support the school.

I get REALLY tired of the number of times something comes home for money. At the start of the year we were told "5we only have one fundraiser" but there is always something coming home asking for money. That is very frustrating because it usually involves $1 entry fee into something. It isn't much but it's often and I can't punish the kid by saying no. I do appreciate that they always mention what it's for.

Posted: September 16, 2015

My grandkids started here last year. They love it here.lm impressed with all the staff I have met and talk to. They really care about the students. I wish my kids had the opportunity to be involved in such a Great school when they were young.

Posted: January 25, 2014

This school is said to be one of the better elementary schools in the city. Academically the test scores are high. The atmosphere is large, crowded and busy. There is a fair amount of bullying also. My daughter was bullied to the point of her father and I having to contact the superintendent. It is easy for certain kids to get lost between the cracks because the class sizes are large and some of the teachers do not seem like they are really interested in helping out anymore. Some of those teachers definitely need to retire. My child has been there since Kindergarten and she is now in 3rd grade. Most days she doesn't even want to go to school. Her Kindergarten teacher was Ms. Newsom who is awful and that set the tone. She's really mean to the kids and you can tell she is just hanging in until retirement. I reported several concerns about her to the principal at the time but nothing was done. My daughter's teachers since then have been better than Newsom but not great by any means. Her current 3rd grade teacher is uninspiring and again you can tell she's just waiting on retirement. The Asst. Principal Ms. Henson is the best asset this school has but she can only do so much.

Posted: November 16, 2013

We just transfered to this school and I really dislike this school . It's forsure is not for my family. The Lord sit high and looks low.

Posted: April 5, 2012

I meant to write Challenger ELEMENTARY school directly below. I apologize for the error, though my eldest daughter did attend Challenger Middle School and I have good things to say for them too.

Posted: September 21, 2011

We debated choosing private school over public, but we are very pleased with our decision of going to Challenger. The principal is fantastic, and the teachers are wonderful. My son is constantly telling us how much he loves the school!

Reviews provided by GreatSchools^™

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Hampton Cove	Area of Town	Owens Cross Roads	AL	3.8 mi
2	Arch Street Apts	Apartment Complex	Madison	AL	11.3 mi
3	Park Meadow	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Madison	AL	13.6 mi
4	Burgreen Farms	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Madison	AL	16.1 mi

#	Name	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Huntsville	Huntsville	AL		8.2 mi
2	Madison	Madison	AL		14.2 mi

Base	Distance
Redstone Arsenal	8.2 mi.

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Challenger Elementary School

Huntsville, AL 35803

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