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Bear Creek Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

703^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Bear Creek Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Dundalk area of Baltimore, MD, serving 461 students as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, where over 76% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Bear Creek has historically performed in the bottom third of Maryland elementary schools, with a current state ranking in the 19th percentile. The most critical challenge is in English Language Arts (ELA), where only 24.4% of students are proficient—a staggering 27.3 percentage points below the state average. This gap has widened over the last three years. Math proficiency is also low at 18.5%. A concerning pattern emerges in 5th grade, where only 12.1% are proficient in Math and 15.5% in ELA, a much steeper decline than at nearby schools like Logan Elementary or Grange Elementary. Despite spending a substantial $21,770 per student, these academic outcomes lag significantly behind the district and state.

However, there are notable bright spots. The most striking comparison is with Charlesmont Elementary, located just 0.39 miles away, which serves a similar student population but achieves nearly double the proficiency rates in both Math (39% vs. 18.5%) and ELA (48.4% vs. 24.4%). This suggests school-level factors like leadership and instruction play a massive role. Additionally, Bear Creek has made a major positive shift in reducing chronic absenteeism from 45.8% in 2022-2023 to 24.7% in 2024-2025, now in line with the district average. Historically, the school also showed relative effectiveness with its low socio-economic status students, ranking in the 62nd percentile for that subgroup in 2020-2021. These improvements provide a foundation, but a deep focus on instructional quality—especially in upper elementary grades—is urgently needed to reverse the long-term trend of low performance.

461

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,770

Per pupil spending ?

76.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1601 Melbourne Rd
Baltimore, MD 21222-3404

(410) 887-7007

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

Students who attend Bear Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	General John Stricker Middle
High:	Patapsco High and Center for Arts

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.7%

Hispanic:

22.6%

African American:

15.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (21% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg34%

Maryland avg39%

703^rd of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

90^th of 108Elementary Schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools

18^th of 25Baltimore County Public Schools among Maryland 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	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	18.7	703 of 864	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.2	681 of 865	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	645 of 859	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	668 of 855	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	633 of 862	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.3	426 of 802	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.5	609 of 853	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.0	546 of 857	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.4	519 of 847	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	28.5	578 of 845	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	24.3	632 of 859	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	52.7	487 of 867	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	63.4	328 of 847	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.7	316 of 857	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.0	330 of 853	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.6	391 of 855	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	49.5	498 of 850	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	66.1	304 of 838	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.6	346 of 818	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.7	429 of 804	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	65.8	296 of 805	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	71.1	240 of 803	70.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.1	409 of 796	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.8	206 of 546	62.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	35.4	415 of 788	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	24.9	386 of 528	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2021)62nd percentile+15 vs school

Female (2021)49th percentile~ school

Male (2021)47th percentile~ school

White (2021)27th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts24%-27 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

Science16%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bear Creek Elementary

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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)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)				MCAP Science (2026)	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 (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	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bear Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 Melbourne Rd	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7007	461	32	14.5	76.8%	229 (49.7%)	72 (15.6%)	104 (22.6%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (10.2%)	18.7	703^rd of 864 public elementary schools	18.6%		20.2	681^st of 865 public elementary schools	21.3%	22	21.3	20.8	12.1	18.5	28.4	27.4	15.5	24.4	15.8	$21,770	$4,525	$17,244
Battle Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7828 St Patricia Ln	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7500	333	26	13.0	76.9%	116 (34.8%)	98 (29.4%)	87 (26.1%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.2%)	19.9	685^th of 864 public elementary schools	20.7%		24.9	611^th of 865 public elementary schools	29.4%	74	26.1	18.2	10.4	18.1	34.8	27.3	25.0	29.0	10.2	$32,452	$4,618	$27,835
Charlesmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7800 W Collingham Dr	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7004	373	25	14.9	69.4%	163 (43.7%)	61 (16.4%)	108 (29.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.4%)	54.1	375^th of 864 public elementary schools	56.6%		46.9	430^th of 865 public elementary schools	50.3%	55	50.0	42.0	27.1	39.0	46.0	50.0	49.2	48.4	25.4	$21,255	$3,699	$17,556
Sandy Plains Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8330 Kavanagh Rd	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7070	580	37	15.6	80.0%	210 (36.2%)	130 (22.4%)	162 (27.9%)	10 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (11.2%)	13	782^nd of 864 public elementary schools	9.5%		12.7	797^th of 865 public elementary schools	7.9%	15	13.8	16.1	11.3	13.7	21.5	15.1	17.3	18.0	11.1	$21,311	$3,338	$17,973
Grange Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 Church Rd	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7043	483	28	17.5	71.6%	242 (50.1%)	88 (18.2%)	95 (19.7%)	16 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.3%)	22.8	650^th of 864 public elementary schools	24.8%		25.6	605^th of 865 public elementary schools	30.1%	45	28.8	22.0	9.3	20.3	30.4	28.4	31.6	30.1	14.5	$17,253	$2,055	$15,198
Logan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7601 Dunmanway	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7052	556	34	16.1	73.6%	205 (36.9%)	125 (22.5%)	146 (26.3%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	68 (12.2%)	28.3	592^nd of 864 public elementary schools	31.5%		31.7	548^th of 865 public elementary schools	36.6%	44	30.0	36.2	9.5	24.9	34.3	31.4	32.4	32.7	15.1	$20,801	$2,921	$17,880
Norwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	1700 Delvale Ave	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7055	521	31	16.6	71.4%	131 (25.1%)	50 (9.6%)	282 (54.1%)	19 (3.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.9%)								(n/a)	26.6			26.6	25.6			25.6		$18,539	$2,223	$16,315
Dundalk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2717 Playfield Street	Baltimore	21222	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 809-7013	757	48	15.8	75.3%	155 (20.5%)	202 (26.7%)	322 (42.5%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (8.9%)	12.9	783^rd of 864 public elementary schools	9.4%		10.1	833^rd of 865 public elementary schools	3.7%	50	19.3	14.8	3.2	12.4	26.1	25.0	14.6	21.9	6.6	$18,931	$2,407	$16,524
Berkshire Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7431 Poplar Ave	Baltimore	21224	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-7008	514	39	13.3	73.3%	162 (31.5%)	71 (13.8%)	230 (44.7%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (8.4%)	13.4	777^th of 864 public elementary schools	10.1%		15.2	751^st of 865 public elementary schools	13.2%	26	15.9	13.2	3.4	10.4	29.5	18.9	21.6	24.0	10.6	$20,411	$2,908	$17,503
Sandalwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	900 S Marlyn Ave	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0174	440	30	14.7	83.0%	16 (3.6%)	315 (71.6%)	73 (16.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.0%)	31.3	562^nd of 864 public elementary schools	35.0%		42.3	472^nd of 865 public elementary schools	45.4%	90	33.3	17.6	7.2	20.0	40.5	41.2	42.6	41.4	17.6	$21,644	$3,404	$18,240

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Creek Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Bear Creek Elementary?

Students at Bear Creek Elementary are 50% White, 23% Hispanic, 16% African American, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Bear Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bear Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : General John Stricker Middle
High : Patapsco High and Center for Arts

What district is Bear Creek Elementary in?

Baltimore County Public Schools

Is Bear Creek Elementary a good school?

Bear Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.6% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Bear Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 461 students attended Bear Creek Elementary.

Rate Bear Creek Elementary!

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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