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Bear Exploration Center

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

24^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 97% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Bear Exploration Center is a K-5 elementary school in Montgomery, AL, serving 507 students and part of the Montgomery County school district. This school is a remarkable standout, consistently ranking in the top 5% of all elementary schools in Alabama—currently 24th out of 686 schools—while most nearby schools in the same district rank in the bottom 20% statewide.

What truly sets Bear apart is the scale of its academic success. In 4th-grade science, for example, 91.95% of Bear students are proficient, compared to just 33.22% for the district average and 50.23% for the state. Nearby schools like Davis Elementary School, Nixon Elementary School, and Johnson Elementary School range from only 13% to 18% proficient in the same subject. This pattern holds across math and English Language Arts in every grade level. The only comparable school in the area is Forest Avenue Elementary School, ranked #1 in the state, but Bear's results are especially impressive given its student demographics.

Bear is exceptionally effective with all students, ranking 7th in the state for low socio-economic status students and 6th for African American students—both in the 99th percentile. Chronic absenteeism is just 3.7%, versus 25.2% for the district and 12.0% for the state. The school also achieves these outcomes efficiently, spending $8,121 per student, less than many struggling neighbors like Nixon ($12,030) or Vaughn Road Elementary School ($10,215). Bear's decade-long consistency, even through the pandemic, proves this is a resilient, high-quality school that delivers exceptional results for every child.

507

Students ?

18.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,121

Per pupil spending ?

37.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2525 Churchill Dr
Montgomery, AL 36111-2899

(334) 851-4840

District: Montgomery County

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.5%

White:

22.5%

Hispanic:

5.1%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Bear Exploration Center to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2016 → 97th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (83% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of Alabama elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Montgomery County

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg34%

Alabama avg53%

24^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 3%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 29Elementary Schools in the Montgomery County

113^th of 140Montgomery County 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
2026	94.2	24 of 686	96.5%	★★★★★
2025	92.0	38 of 680	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.9	24 of 684	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	46 of 680	93.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	61 of 687	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	74.3	143 of 692	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	57 of 681	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	89.9	56 of 680	91.8%	★★★★★
2017	92.8	45 of 688	93.5%	★★★★★
2016	94.7	30 of 691	95.7%	★★★★★
2015	94.3	34 of 691	95.1%	★★★★★
2014	95.1	22 of 695	96.8%	★★★★★
2013	85.2	9 of 696	98.7%	★★★★★
2012	87.5	12 of 696	98.3%	★★★★★
2011	89.5	10 of 709	98.6%	★★★★★
2010	92.2	8 of 704	98.9%	★★★★★
2009	95.4	1 of 696	99.9%	★★★★★
2008	94.1	6 of 698	99.1%	★★★★★
2007	93.5	6 of 698	99.1%	★★★★★
2006	90.8	16 of 689	97.7%	★★★★★
2005	96.0	5 of 688	99.3%	★★★★★
2004	91.2	25 of 623	96.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	98.6	6 of 428	98.6%	★★★★★
2025	97.3	8 of 427	98.1%	★★★★★
2024	99.3	4 of 420	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	98.3	6 of 427	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	96.3	12 of 426	97.2%	★★★★★
2021	78.0	55 of 426	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	91.7	19 of 426	95.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.0	29 of 423	93.1%	★★★★★
2017	93.7	14 of 336	95.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	91.7	29 of 651	95.5%	★★★★★
2025	91.0	35 of 649	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	93.4	21 of 650	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	90.3	51 of 645	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	86.8	61 of 656	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	67.2	188 of 656	71.3%	★★★★☆
2019	85.3	67 of 646	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	87.1	59 of 640	90.8%	★★★★★
2017	90.5	44 of 639	93.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	97.7	7 of 667	99.0%	★★★★★
2025	96.5	8 of 660	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	96.5	9 of 670	98.7%	★★★★★
2023	93.7	13 of 623	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	78.9	89 of 651	86.3%	★★★★☆
2021	69.6	161 of 653	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	13 of 649	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	80.7	80 of 651	87.7%	★★★★☆
2017	97.8	6 of 567	98.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	94.7	17 of 659	97.4%	★★★★★
2025	91.1	40 of 651	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	26 of 655	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	91.1	42 of 649	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	88.3	64 of 669	90.4%	★★★★★
2021	78.9	102 of 669	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	91.0	42 of 650	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	90.8	48 of 650	92.6%	★★★★★
2017	92.6	34 of 639	94.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	90.2	29 of 501	94.2%	★★★★★
2025	91.0	27 of 532	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.7	23 of 535	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	87.4	54 of 528	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	59 of 540	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	77.3	96 of 539	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	88.9	48 of 529	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	86.1	61 of 508	88.0%	★★★★☆
2017	88.9	35 of 369	90.5%	★★★★★

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile~ school

African American (2026)99th percentile~ school

Male (2026)97th percentile~ school

Female (2026)96th percentile~ school

White (2026)94th percentile~ school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English97%+32 vs state

Science92%+42 vs state

Mathematics68%+26 vs state

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Schools Near Bear Exploration Center

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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)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)			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 (2025)	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	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bear Exploration Center	Public, Magnet	K-5	2525 Churchill Dr	Montgomery	36111	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	Yes	No	No	(334) 851-4840	507	27	18.7	37.3%	114 (22.5%)	327 (64.5%)	26 (5.1%)	17 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	94.2	24^th of 686 public elementary schools	96.5%		92	38^th of 680 public elementary schools	94.4%	14	67.9	66.7	68.1	92.0	96.4	97.7	95.7	$8,121	$648	$7,421
Dannelly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3425 Carter Hill Rd	Montgomery	36111	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 269-3657	588	37	15.8	84.5%	7 (1.2%)	488 (83.0%)	79 (13.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.0%)	14	601^st of 686 public elementary schools	12.4%		14.3	594^th of 680 public elementary schools	12.6%	7	14.9	30.8	6.3	29.7	36.2	37.4	41.3	$8,784	$1,396	$7,337
Johnson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4550 Narrow Lane Rd	Montgomery	36116	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 851-4904	340	21	16.1	79.1%	0 (0.0%)	297 (87.4%)	39 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	8.2	659^th of 686 public elementary schools	3.9%		7.3	664^th of 680 public elementary schools	2.4%	5	19.7	8.3	9.3	13.3	40.9	31.7	33.3	$9,200	$1,927	$7,223
Crump Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3510 Woodley Rd	Montgomery	36116	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 284-8020	575	31	18.5	87.0%	8 (1.4%)	478 (83.1%)	73 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	10.9	635^th of 686 public elementary schools	7.4%		8.3	652^nd of 680 public elementary schools	4.1%	17	28.7	12.4	13.3	24.5	32.0	22.7	42.2	$8,818	$1,757	$7,009
Forest Avenue Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1700 W 5th St	Montgomery	36106	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	Yes	No	No	(334) 851-4876	617	38	16.2	25.6%	139 (22.5%)	190 (30.8%)	21 (3.4%)	226 (36.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (6.0%)	98.4	1^st of 686 public elementary schools	99.9%		98.7	1^st of 680 public elementary schools	99.9%		94.7	93.1	84.6	90.8	100.0	98.9	100.0	$7,213	$507	$6,655
Vaughn Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4407 Vaughn Rd	Montgomery	36106	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 851-4910	473	25	18.9	80.5%	7 (1.5%)	420 (88.8%)	22 (4.7%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	11.9	624^th of 686 public elementary schools	9.0%		13.9	597^th of 680 public elementary schools	12.2%	27	22.6	19.2	11.4	25.6	37.0	29.5	44.3	$10,215	$1,969	$8,194
Flowers Elementary School	Public	K-5	3510 Harrison Rd	Montgomery	36109	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 851-4871	387	25	15.4	83.5%	30 (7.8%)	304 (78.6%)	32 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)	19.4	559^th of 686 public elementary schools	18.5%		17.8	561^st of 680 public elementary schools	17.5%	2	42.3	17.7	29.6	25.0	42.3	26.5	37.0	$9,912	$1,876	$7,985
Highland Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2024 Highland Avenue	Montgomery	36107	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 269-3690	453	27	16.7	78.8%	6 (1.3%)	272 (60.0%)	166 (36.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	6.3	673^rd of 686 public elementary schools	1.9%		4.4	678^th of 680 public elementary schools	0.3%	5	10.0	10.2	3.9	22.0	20.0	32.2	34.6	$8,784	$1,782	$6,952
Davis Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	3605 Rosa Parks Dr	Montgomery	36105	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(334) 851-4866	533	27	19.7	87.6%	4 (0.8%)	431 (80.9%)	90 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	4.1	685^th of 686 public elementary schools	0.1%		3.8	680^th of 680 public elementary schools	0.0%	5	2.8	3.7	10.3	14.6	13.1	18.3	34.2	$9,516	$1,934	$7,531
LEAD Academy Building A PK4	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	2897 Eastern Blvd	Montgomery	36116	Montgomery County	LEAD Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(334) 451-3127	358	18	19.8	77.7%	5 (1.4%)	323 (90.2%)	19 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)								(n/a)	31.4				38.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Exploration Center

How many students attend Bear Exploration Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 507 students attended Bear Exploration Center.

What is the racial makeup of Bear Exploration Center?

Students at Bear Exploration Center are 64% African American, 22% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Bear Exploration Center in?

Montgomery County

Is Bear Exploration Center a good school?

Yes! Bear Exploration Center is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 24^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools.

Rate Bear Exploration Center!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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.