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Bear Cave Intermediate School

Q: Is Bear Cave Intermediate School a good school?

Bear Cave Intermediate School ranks 172 nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

172^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Bear Cave Intermediate School is an elementary school in Stewartville, MN, serving grades 3–5 with 436 students as part of the Stewartville Public School District. In 2025–2026 it ranked 172nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (80th percentile, 4 stars), up from 315th (64th percentile, 3 stars) in 2020–2021 — a steady multi-year climb that has held 4 stars since 2021–2022. The district itself ranks 117th of 458 statewide (74th percentile, 4 stars).

In 2025–2026, Bear Cave Intermediate School exceeded both its district and the state in every tested subject: math 62.6% (district 47.1%, state 44.9%), reading 61.7% (district 53.6%, state 48.6%), and science 34.2% (district 28.4%, state 25.5%). Reading rises by grade, from 56.8% in 3rd to 67.8% in 5th, while math is strongest in 3rd (70.9%) and 4th (67.7%) and lower in 5th (50.0%). Among nearby Rochester schools, Bear Cave trails Folwell Elementary School (97th percentile) and Lincoln K-8 School (86th percentile), but it is ahead of Bamber Valley Elementary School, Longfellow Elementary School, and several others in the area.

Science is the main watch area: proficiency dropped to 22.88% in 2024–2025 before rebounding to 34.2% in 2025–2026. Subgroup rankings are also uneven — the overall 80th percentile is higher than the school's rankings for special education students (65th percentile, 3 stars) and low-income students (59th, 3 stars), while male and female students both sit near the overall level (79th and 78th). About 25% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025, down from 28.84% two years earlier and well below most Rochester comparison schools, and the student-teacher ratio was 16, slightly above Bonner Elementary (15.4), the same district's K–2 school.

436

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,756

Per pupil spending ?

25.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

1021 10th Street NW
Stewartville, MN 55976-1199

(507) 533-1400

District: Stewartville Public School District

Students who attend Bear Cave Intermediate School usually attend:

Middle:	Stewartville Middle
High:	Stewartville Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.7%

Hispanic:

5.0%

Two or more races:

3.0%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Bear Cave Intermediate School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (58% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Minnesota elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg46%

Minnesota avg43%

172^nd of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

117^th of 458Stewartville Public School District among Minnesota 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	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	77.7	172 of 869	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	74.6	213 of 872	75.6%	★★★★☆
2024	72.9	226 of 881	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.3	239 of 845	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	257 of 858	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	64.3	315 of 869	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.4	315 of 870	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	279 of 847	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.7	237 of 853	72.2%	★★★★☆
2016	65.2	316 of 848	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	72.9	217 of 840	74.2%	★★★★☆
2014	66.8	295 of 826	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.8	240 of 824	70.9%	★★★★☆
2012	73.2	185 of 820	77.4%	★★★★☆
2011	74.0	167 of 814	79.5%	★★★★☆
2010	74.4	154 of 803	80.8%	★★★★☆
2009	58.3	206 of 434	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.6	324 of 781	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.7	300 of 777	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.6	191 of 756	74.7%	★★★★☆
2005	69.7	191 of 685	72.1%	★★★★☆
2004	60.9	289 of 676	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2003	62.2	273 of 674	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	74.7	173 of 790	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	74.9	175 of 799	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	161 of 809	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	259 of 787	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.5	234 of 799	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	63.9	295 of 783	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	305 of 787	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	283 of 774	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	78.1	29 of 249	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	41.0	126 of 214	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	64.5	45 of 209	78.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	57.0	313 of 764	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	249 of 764	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	316 of 793	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	334 of 774	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.5	321 of 663	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	339 of 683	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.0	301 of 740	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.8	296 of 728	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	76.1	171 of 807	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	69.7	244 of 812	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	279 of 826	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.8	223 of 799	72.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.9	272 of 808	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.4	338 of 784	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	307 of 798	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.9	270 of 779	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	204 of 579	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.7	212 of 562	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	234 of 572	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.4	238 of 524	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	263 of 500	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	292 of 417	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.3	275 of 515	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.6	179 of 463	61.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	243 of 710	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.1	291 of 714	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.0	309 of 730	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.7	272 of 712	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	326 of 725	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.0	394 of 710	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.4	413 of 722	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.5	401 of 712	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2024)88th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)79th percentile~ school

Female (2026)78th percentile~ school

White (2026)66th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)59th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math63%+18 vs state

Reading62%+13 vs state

Science34%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bear Cave Intermediate 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)							MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)							Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Bear Cave Intermediate School	Public	3-5	1021 10th Street NW	Stewartville	55976	Olmsted County	Stewartville Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 533-1400	436	27	16.0	25.0%	391 (89.7%)	5 (1.1%)	22 (5.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	77.7	172^nd of 869 public elementary schools	80.2%		74.6	213^th of 872 public elementary schools	75.6%	41	56.8	60.3	67.8				61.7	34.2		34.2	70.9	67.7	50.0				62.6			$8,756
Bonner Elementary	Public	K-2	526 5th Ave SE	Stewartville	55976	Olmsted County	Stewartville Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 533-1500	411	27	15.4	28.5%	367 (89.3%)	6 (1.5%)	18 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.6%)								(n/a)																		92.6%	7.4%	$9,824
Bamber Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2001 Bamber Valley Rd SW	Rochester	55902	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3030	599	0	15.3	21.0%	410 (68.4%)	31 (5.2%)	73 (12.2%)	40 (6.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.2%)	73.4	224^th of 869 public elementary schools	74.2%		76.6	184^th of 872 public elementary schools	78.9%	40	55.8	50.4	64.0				56.4	30.0		30.0	71.4	65.8	56.6				65.1	97.1%	2.9%	$11,066
Franklin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 9th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3300	600	0	12.2	48.8%	270 (45.0%)	87 (14.5%)	124 (20.7%)	48 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (11.5%)	28.5	656^th of 869 public elementary schools	24.5%		30.3	644^th of 872 public elementary schools	26.1%	12	39.1	29.0	34.1				33.8	12.5		12.5	54.5	43.0	21.3				39.7	88%	9.8%	$15,056
Rochester Math & Science Elementary	Public, Charter	K-6	415 16th St SW	Rochester	55902	Olmsted County	Rochester Math And Science Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(507) 252-5995	322	21	15.4	93.2%	0 (0.0%)	321 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	31.6	631^st of 869 public elementary schools	27.4%		25.5	684^th of 872 public elementary schools	21.6%	53	20.0	21.9	40.0	48.6			32.9	12.5		12.5	42.5	37.5	42.5	35.1			39.6			$17,173
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2435 20th St SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3600	265	0	15.1	36.6%	146 (55.1%)	46 (17.4%)	44 (16.6%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.4%)	49.1	476^th of 869 public elementary schools	45.2%		58.5	388^th of 872 public elementary schools	55.5%	88	38.6	43.6	36.6				39.5	22.0		22.0	61.4	69.2	39.0				56.5	94.1%	5.9%	$12,148
Pinewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2435 20th St SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3630	380	0	15.1	45.0%	191 (50.3%)	54 (14.2%)	87 (22.9%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.7%)	22.4	710^th of 869 public elementary schools	18.3%		21	707^th of 872 public elementary schools	18.9%	3	31.0	32.2	25.3				29.2	16.2		16.2	38.6	40.7	22.7				33.0	92.6%	5.6%	$11,782
Lincoln K-8 School	Public	K-8	1122 8th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3550	506	0	17.6	17.0%	333 (65.8%)	46 (9.1%)	25 (4.9%)	55 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.3%)	81.9	126^th of 869 public elementary schools	85.5%		74.6	212^th of 872 public elementary schools	75.7%	86	58.6	63.3	65.0	52.2	51.1	77.3	61.3	41.7	34.1	38.5	73.7	75.0	63.8	52.2	40.4	62.8	62.4	≥ 98%	0%	$11,594
Folwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	603 15th Ave SW	Rochester	55902	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3220	352	0	18.8	15.9%	218 (61.9%)	13 (3.7%)	37 (10.5%)	44 (12.5%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	34 (9.7%)	92.5	30^th of 869 public elementary schools	96.5%		84.4	101^st of 872 public elementary schools	88.4%	71	77.2	71.8	78.2				75.4	46.4		46.4	89.5	77.5	60.0				76.0	93.5%	3.2%	$11,376
Riverside Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	506 5th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3700	509	0	10.1	59.7%	172 (33.8%)	78 (15.3%)	170 (33.4%)	24 (4.7%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (11.4%)	23.9	691^st of 869 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.8	708^th of 872 public elementary schools	18.8%	17	28.4	18.8	41.1	55.6			30.2	11.4		11.4	42.0	32.6	24.7	66.7			35.6	93.3%	3.4%	$17,286

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Cave Intermediate School

What schools do graduates of Bear Cave Intermediate School attend?

Students who attend Bear Cave Intermediate School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Stewartville Middle
High : Stewartville Senior High

How many students attend Bear Cave Intermediate School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 436 students attended Bear Cave Intermediate School.

Is Bear Cave Intermediate School a good school?

Bear Cave Intermediate School ranks 172^nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Bear Cave Intermediate School in?

Stewartville Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Bear Cave Intermediate School?

Students at Bear Cave Intermediate School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

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