South Penn Elementary

Q: Is South Penn Elementary a good school?

South Penn Elementary ranks 616 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

South Penn Elementary is a public elementary school in Cumberland, Maryland, serving 523 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Allegany County Public Schools district, which is ranked 13 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Penn Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom half of Maryland elementary schools, with significantly lower academic performance than the Allegany County and Maryland state averages on MCAP tests. In 2023-2024, only 18.7% of South Penn students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 25.5% in Allegany County and 24.1% statewide. In English Language Arts, 28.2% of South Penn students were proficient or better, compared to 50.7% in Allegany County and 48.4% statewide. The school's performance is particularly low for special education students, ranking 129 out of 136 Maryland elementary schools in this subgroup. Additionally, South Penn Elementary has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 77.25% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Nearby schools, such as Frost Elementary, Beall Elementary, and Parkside Elementary, consistently outperform South Penn Elementary on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Language Arts, and lower percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. These nearby schools also have a more balanced racial diversity compared to South Penn Elementary, which has a predominantly White student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

500 E 2nd St
Cumberland, MD 21502-4249

(301) 777-1755

District: Allegany County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
616^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,888

Students who attend South Penn Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle
High:	Fort Hill High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.3

Number of students: 523

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.6%

Two or more races:

14.5%

African American:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.2%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare South Penn Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Penn Elementary ranks worse than 71.7% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks last among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Allegany County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.38. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details South Penn Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Allegany County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (74.6%), two or more races (14.5%), African American (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Penn Elementary is 11.3, which is the 3^rd best among 14 elementary schools in the Allegany County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare South Penn Elementary employs 46 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Penn Elementary is $20,888, which is the 3^rd highest among 14 elementary schools in the Allegany County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

South Penn Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Allegany County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Allegany County Public Schools 13^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Penn Elementary

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Rank History for all students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	71.10	238^th	803	70.4%
2005	65.51	298^th	805	63.0%
2006	72.75	217^th	804	73.0%
2007	69.10	262^nd	818	68.0%
2008	14.31	780^th	838	6.9%
2009	32.00	643^rd	850	24.4%
2010	36.31	623^rd	855	27.1%
2011	39.51	568^th	853	33.4%
2012	37.91	602^nd	857	29.8%
2013	27.43	674^th	847	20.4%
2014	45.41	552^nd	867	36.3%
2015	26.71	610^th	859	29.0%
2016	31.66	558^th	845	34.0%
2017	32.68	537^th	847	36.6%
2018	33.58	529^th	857	38.3%
2019	25.54	595^th	853	30.2%
2021	22.92	573^rd	802	28.6%
2022	30.81	561^st	862	34.9%
2023	23.49	614^th	855	28.2%
2024	22.38	616^th	859	28.3%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	21.44	129^th	136	5.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	33.64	382^nd	546	30.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	16.53	696^th	796	12.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	27.32	518^th	788	34.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at South Penn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	11.17	495^th	528	6.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South Penn Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	558	13	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	573
1990	589	20	0	3	2	n/a	n/a	614
1991	585	13	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	605
1992	579	16	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	600
1993	565	10	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	577
1994	579	15	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	599
1995	556	40	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	603
1996	556	40	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	603
1997	546	25	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	575
1998	520	26	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	553
1999	539	38	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	584
2000	538	34	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	583
2001	540	39	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	586
2002	487	46	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	539
2003	487	46	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	539
2004	493	49	4	3	4	n/a	n/a	553
2005	475	56	2	2	3	n/a	n/a	538
2006	448	50	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	503
2007	459	59	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	523
2008	421	59	1	6	3	n/a	n/a	490
2009	421	73	1	3	5	n/a	n/a	503
2010	412	66	3	7	4	n/a	n/a	492
2011	384	30	1	6	1	0	40	462
2012	396	28	2	5	0	0	42	473
2013	425	25	2	5	0	0	38	495
2014	425	23	0	5	0	0	44	497
2015	439	31	1	8	0	1	48	528
2016	427	28	2	4	0	0	56	517
2017	425	26	3	8	0	0	67	529
2018	415	39	3	6	0	0	76	539
2019	418	49	5	6	0	0	88	566
2020	421	51	5	6	0	0	88	571
2021	361	40	6	5	0	0	85	497
2022	362	42	7	7	1	0	81	500
2023	390	42	7	7	1	0	76	523

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Penn Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	573	29.8	19.2	n/a
1990	614	31.2	19.6	42.7
1991	605	30.8	19.6	42.8
1992	600	31.3	19.1	50
1993	577	33.4	17.3	52
1994	599	34.4	17.4	52.3
1995	603	35.2	17.1	44.4
1996	603	35.2	17.1	44.4
1997	575	36.1	15.9	43
1998	553	34.5	16.0	45.9
1999	584	34.6	16.9	60.8
2000	583	38.0	15.3	59.2
2001	586	37.7	15.5	54.1
2002	539	36.5	14.8	53.4
2003	539	36.5	14.8	53.4
2004	553	38.5	14.4	62.7
2005	538	40.0	13.5	63.8
2006	503	40.0	12.6	62.8
2007	523	39.5	13.2	64.4
2008	490	37.5	13.1	61.8
2009	503	39.6	12.7	65.8
2010	492	37.9	12.9	66.3
2011	462	36.0	12.8	72.9
2012	473	35.5	13.3	74
2013	495	35.5	13.9	75.4
2014	497	34.5	14.4	75.9
2015	528	36.0	14.6	74.1
2016	517	37.0	13.9	77.8
2017	529	36.6	14.4	73.9
2018	539	36.6	14.7	68.8
2019	566	40.6	13.9	100
2020	571	42.6	13.3	100
2021	497	44.6	11.1	67.2
2022	500	42.5	11.7	61.8
2023	523	46.0	11.3	77.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South Penn Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	573	29.8	19.2	n/a
1990	614	31.2	19.6	42.7
1991	605	30.8	19.6	42.8
1992	600	31.3	19.1	50
1993	577	33.4	17.3	52
1994	599	34.4	17.4	52.3
1995	603	35.2	17.1	44.4
1996	603	35.2	17.1	44.4
1997	575	36.1	15.9	43
1998	553	34.5	16.0	45.9
1999	584	34.6	16.9	60.8
2000	583	38.0	15.3	59.2
2001	586	37.7	15.5	54.1
2002	539	36.5	14.8	53.4
2003	539	36.5	14.8	53.4
2004	553	38.5	14.4	62.7
2005	538	40.0	13.5	63.8
2006	503	40.0	12.6	62.8
2007	523	39.5	13.2	64.4
2008	490	37.5	13.1	61.8
2009	503	39.6	12.7	65.8
2010	492	37.9	12.9	66.3
2011	462	36.0	12.8	72.9
2012	473	35.5	13.3	74
2013	495	35.5	13.9	75.4
2014	497	34.5	14.4	75.9
2015	528	36.0	14.6	74.1
2016	517	37.0	13.9	77.8
2017	529	36.6	14.4	73.9
2018	539	36.6	14.7	68.8
2019	566	40.6	13.9	100
2020	571	42.6	13.3	100
2021	497	44.6	11.1	67.2
2022	500	42.5	11.7	61.8
2023	523	46.0	11.3	77.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Penn Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,277 (13.2%)	$15,016 (86.8%)	$17,293
2020	$1,851 (11.3%)	$14,572 (88.7%)	$16,423
2021	$2,585 (13.6%)	$16,360 (86.4%)	$18,945
2022	$3,036 (15.8%)	$16,234 (84.2%)	$19,271
2023	$3,451 (16.5%)	$17,437 (83.5%)	$20,888

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Penn Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 595^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 614^th of 855 Elementary schools	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	566	523	7.6%
African American	49	42	14.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	5	7	40%
Hispanic	6	7	16.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	418	390	6.7%
Two or More Races	88	76	13.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	77.2%	22.8%

Schools Near South Penn Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
South Penn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E 2nd St	Cumberland	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 777-1755	523	46	11.3	77.2%	390 (74.6%)	42 (8.0%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (14.5%)	22.4	616^th of 859 public elementary schools	28.3%		23.5	614^th of 855 public elementary schools	28.2%	2	25.4	15.8	15.7	18.7	27.0	39.3	21.7	28.2	13.3	$20,888	$3,451	$17,437
John Humbird Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Mary St	Cumberland	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 724-8842	234	22	10.6	87.2%	153 (65.4%)	33 (14.1%)	9 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (16.2%)	32.1	514^th of 859 public elementary schools	40.2%		28.7	557^th of 855 public elementary schools	34.9%	43	38.9	23.7	11.4	24.8	50.0	39.5	25.7	38.5	5.7	$23,724	$3,208	$20,516
West Side Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Paca St	Cumberland	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 724-0340	305	25	12.2	68.9%	227 (74.4%)	22 (7.2%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.6%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (14.1%)	52.3	356^th of 859 public elementary schools	58.6%		48.8	373^rd of 855 public elementary schools	56.4%	17	26.5	29.8	28.3	28.3	36.0	64.9	59.3	54.0	26.4	$18,980	$3,039	$15,941
Northeast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11001 Forest Ave Ne	Cumberland	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 724-3285	272	19	14.3	58.1%	234 (86.0%)	11 (4.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.1%)	67.1	260^th of 859 public elementary schools	69.7%		68.5	246^th of 855 public elementary schools	71.2%	14	57.5	53.8	36.8	49.6	55.0	69.2	44.7	56.4	18.4	$15,680	$1,531	$14,149
Cash Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10601 Cash Valley Rd Nw	Lavale	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 724-6632	275	25	10.8	68.0%	224 (81.5%)	16 (5.8%)	9 (3.3%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (7.6%)	64.4	279^th of 859 public elementary schools	67.5%		67.3	258^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.8%	21	16.2	48.7	73.5	45.5	29.7	53.8	82.4	54.5	41.2	$24,028	$4,064	$19,964
Parkside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	50 Parkside Blvd	Lavale	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 729-0085	210	17	12.7	60.5%	169 (80.5%)	16 (7.6%)	5 (2.4%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.6%)	82.8	145^th of 859 public elementary schools	83.1%		77.7	185^th of 855 public elementary schools	78.4%	40	54.3	60.5	47.2	54.1	71.4	76.3	61.1	69.7	32.4	$19,143	$3,007	$16,136
Cresaptown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13202 6th Ave	Cresaptown	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 729-0212	267	18	14.8	58.1%	234 (87.6%)	8 (3.0%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.7%)	74.1	205^th of 859 public elementary schools	76.1%		63.9	281^st of 855 public elementary schools	67.1%	76	66.7	31.8	47.6	46.6	66.7	61.4	56.1	60.9	36.6	$17,376	$1,904	$15,472
Bel Air Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14401 Barton Blvd	Cumberland	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 729-2992	199	17	11.7	48.2%	189 (95.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	70	241^st of 859 public elementary schools	71.9%		71.1	225^th of 855 public elementary schools	73.7%	16	60.5	31.3	22.9	39.0	59.0	63.3	62.9	61.5	42.9	$19,715	$1,720	$17,995
Mt. Savage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13201 New School Rd Nw	Mount Savage	21545	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 264-3220	220	16	13.8	61.4%	205 (93.2%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.5%)	55.9	330^th of 859 public elementary schools	61.6%		56.2	330^th of 855 public elementary schools	61.4%		55.3	34.2	18.8	37.0	65.8	50.0	43.8	53.7	19.4	$16,800	$3,450	$13,350
Beall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3 E College Ave	Frostburg	21532	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 689-3636	451	33	13.6	62.7%	393 (87.1%)	6 (1.3%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.9%)	71.8	228^th of 859 public elementary schools	73.5%		58.5	309^th of 855 public elementary schools	63.9%	81	49.2	53.7	50.0	51.1	47.5	67.2	55.6	57.2	25.9	$16,889	$1,812	$15,077

Frequently Asked Questions about South Penn Elementary

How many students attend South Penn Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 523 students attended South Penn Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of South Penn Elementary?

Students at South Penn Elementary are 75% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Hispanic.

What district is South Penn Elementary in?

Allegany County Public Schools

Is South Penn Elementary a good school?

South Penn Elementary ranks 616^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of South Penn Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Penn Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle
High : Fort Hill High

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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.