The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Phillips Elementary School
Phillips Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the town of Bear Creek, a small, rural community in Marion County, Alabama. The school is part of the Marion County school district. For a parent or resident trying to understand this place, the picture is of a small, community-rooted elementary school in a town with a deeply rural character, where academic outcomes on state assessments are mixed and the economic context for many families is one of need.
Bear Creek itself is a very low-density town, with a population that has seen a slight decline in recent years. Its economy has historical ties to agriculture and timber, and the town’s primary landmarks are the Upper Bear Creek Reservoir and the broader Bear Creek Lakes System, which offer a range of outdoor recreational activities like fishing, camping, and boating. The school functions as a central civic anchor. The town lacks a traditional walkable downtown, a public library, and public transit; it is a place where residents typically drive to nearby towns for employment and services. There is no evidence of major new housing or commercial growth.
The student body at Phillips Elementary is small for a school of its grade span. Demographically, the student population is predominantly White, with a small Hispanic share and very small numbers of students identifying as two or more races or American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the economic circumstances for many families are modest.
On the Alabama state assessments, the school’s results show a varied picture by subject. In English language arts, the proficiency rates across tested grades are considerably higher than in math. For example, a solid majority of students tested in sixth grade met the proficiency bar in ELA. In math, however, the school’s performance is notably softer, with roughly a quarter to a third of students reaching proficiency across grades three through six. Science was tested only in fourth grade, and a notable share of students met the proficiency standard there. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile relative to the other districts in Marion County—the comparison set used here. There is only a single year of data available for this assessment, so no trend can be established.
Because the school only serves through sixth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Information on special education identification rates, English learner counts, disciplinary data, and staffing ratios was not available in the data provided. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and class sizes.
Phillips Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It operates as a neighborhood school in a rural setting where the recreational assets are a strong point of the surrounding community. The school itself offers no advanced placement or career pathway programs, which is typical for an elementary building. For a family living in or moving to Bear Creek, this is the local elementary school, and its academic profile is one where strengths in literacy are more evident than in math. Families who prioritize strong math foundations may want to investigate what interventions or support are available. The school serves its community in a place that is quiet, rural, and slow-growing, with the outdoors as a primary amenity.
See more original research from School Decision →