Bear Exploration Center, 2525 Churchill Drive: grades K to 5, 496 students on the 2024-25 state report card, graded A with 99 points.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Montgomery Public Schools’ school phone list, How to Enroll page, 2026-27 calendar (PDF), magnet schools page, school zone search, the Alabama State Department of Education’s state report card for 2024-25 and 2023-24 and the federal NCES school directory for 2023-24.
Bear Exploration Center serves kindergarten through fifth grade at 2525 Churchill Drive, Montgomery, as one of Montgomery Public Schools’ magnet schools. Magnet schools have no attendance zone; students apply. Alabama graded it an A, with 99 points, on its 2024-25 report card.
Who to call
- Front office: 334-851-4840, 2525 Churchill Drive
- School website: www.mps.k12.al.us/o/bear
- Enrolling a new student: register online through PowerSchool from the district’s How to Enroll page; the central office is at 334-223-6700, 632 S. Union St.
- Magnet applications: the MPS Magnet Office, 334-223-6927, magnet@mps.k12.al.us; apply on SchoolMint
- Buses: MPS Transportation, 334-851-4833, and the My Ride K-12 parent app, on the transportation page
| Address | 2525 Churchill Drive, Montgomery, AL 36111 |
| Phone | 334-851-4840 |
| Grades | K to 5 |
| District | Montgomery Public Schools |
| Admission | Magnet application; no attendance zone |
| State school code | 051-0030 |
Principal
Principal Leah Davenport, according to the school’s website.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: 496 students on the 2024-25 Alabama state report card.
- Federal count: 503 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 17 students per teacher.
State report card
Alabama grades every public school from A to F each year. The grade comes from a 100-point score built from students’ achievement and growth on state tests in English language arts and math, chronic absenteeism (the share of students who missed 18 or more days), progress in English language proficiency and, for high schools, graduation rate and college and career readiness, according to the Alabama State Department of Education’s report card rules.
2024-25 grade: A, 99 points. That matches the A and 99 points on the 2023-24 card. Montgomery Public Schools as a whole earned a C, with 75 points.
| Indicator | 2024-25 score |
|---|---|
| Academic achievement (ELA and math tests) | 100.00 |
| Academic growth | 100.00 |
| Chronic absenteeism (lower is better) | 3.73% of students |
Bear Exploration Center’s full report card, with results by student group, teachers and spending, is on the state’s report card site.
How to apply
Montgomery Public Schools’ magnet schools are open-zoned, with no attendance zone, and draw students from across the district, according to its magnet schools page. Families apply online through SchoolMint; you do not need to live in an MPS attendance zone to apply, and military families may apply. For 2026-27 the district extended the K-12 window through Friday, Sept. 18, and seated students as applications came in, with waitlisted students seated first. The standard window for 2027-28 opens in January. Questions go to the Magnet Office at 334-223-6927.
Bear calls itself a certified magnet and STEM school with a STEAM focus on its welcome page. It is the elementary school in the district’s BrewTech feeder pattern, according to the magnet schools page.
Calendar
Bear Exploration Center follows the Montgomery Public Schools 2026-27 calendar (PDF). Coming dates:
- Friday, Oct. 30: teacher development day; no school for students
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day; schools and offices closed
- Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
- Friday, Dec. 18: second quarter ends
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 4: winter break; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5
- Monday, Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day; closed
- March 29 to April 2: spring break
- Tuesday, May 25: last day for students
More
- The school’s website
- Every public school in Montgomery, with zones and report cards
- Our Montgomery schools guide for the calendar, enrollment and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Bear Exploration Center serve?
Bear Exploration Center in Montgomery serves kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the Alabama State Department of Education’s 2024-25 report card.
What is Bear Exploration Center’s state report card grade?
Bear Exploration Center earned an A, with 99 points, on Alabama’s 2024-25 state report card, the same score as on the 2023-24 card.
How do I apply to Bear Exploration Center?
Bear Exploration Center is a Montgomery Public Schools magnet school with no attendance zone. Families apply online through SchoolMint; the main window opens in January for the next school year, and the Magnet Office is at 334-223-6927.
Who is the principal of Bear Exploration Center?
Leah Davenport, according to the school’s website.
Have your say