Summary:
Zip code 35543 is home to just one elementary school, Phillips Elementary School, a small rural school in Bear Creek, AL, serving 240 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade within the Marion County district.
For parents considering this area, the standout story is one of promising early-grade gains mixed with persistent challenges. The school has shown a dramatic improvement in 3rd-grade math, jumping from 25% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 48.78% in 2025-2026—now actually exceeding the state average of 44.89%. This suggests that targeted interventions can work here. However, the picture is less rosy in other areas. 4th-grade math proficiency sits at just 40%, a full 26 points below the district average, and 4th-grade science is similarly weak at 41.38% versus the district's 68.80%. English scores are more stable but still trail the district, with 6th-grade English dropping sharply from 65% to 50% in one year. The most critical red flag is chronic absenteeism: 26.8% of students are chronically absent, more than double the district rate of 11% and the state's 12%. With nearly 69% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school faces significant economic hurdles, yet the 3rd-grade math success proves those hurdles aren't insurmountable.
Overall, Phillips Elementary is a school in transition. It ranks in the 41st percentile statewide (2 stars), down from its 53rd percentile showing two years ago, but the recent math surge in early grades offers a glimmer of hope. Parents should weigh the school's small size and potential for personalized attention against the high absenteeism and upper-grade performance gaps. The district itself is rated 4 stars and ranks in the 74th percentile, so Phillips is clearly underperforming relative to its peers in Marion County. If the school can replicate its 3rd-grade math success across other grades and tackle the attendance crisis, it has a real path to improvement.
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