Cascade Elementary

Q: Is Cascade Elementary a good school?

Cascade Elementary ranks 354 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Cascade Elementary is a public elementary school in Cascade, Maryland, serving 146 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Washington County Public Schools district, which is ranked 12th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cascade Elementary stands out for its significantly higher percentage of white students (81.51%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. Academically, the school performs well in 3rd and 4th grades, with proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics and English Language Arts generally higher than district and state averages. However, 5th-grade proficiency rates and science proficiency are lower than the district and state. The school has also seen a notable increase in its free and reduced lunch rate, from 47.69% in 2020-2021 to 57.53% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the surrounding schools. Cascade Elementary's spending per student has increased, and its student-teacher ratio is generally higher than the nearby Frederick County Public Schools and Washington County Public Schools.

These insights suggest that Cascade Elementary has some academic strengths, particularly in the early elementary grades, but also faces challenges in 5th-grade performance and science proficiency. The school's demographic and financial factors, such as the increasing free and reduced lunch rate and higher spending per student, are also noteworthy and may warrant further investigation and targeted interventions to support student success.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

14519 Pennersville Rd
Cascade, MD 21719-1802

(301) 766-8066

District: Washington County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
354^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,022

Students who attend Cascade Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Smithsburg Middle
High:	Smithsburg High

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 144

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.6%

Hispanic:

8.3%

Two or more races:

8.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Cascade Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cascade Elementary ranks better than 58.8% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 13^th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.83. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Cascade Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Washington County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (80.6%), Hispanic (8.3%), two or more races (8.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cascade Elementary is 17.7, which is the highest among 25 elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Cascade Elementary employs 8.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cascade Elementary is $17,022, which is the 11^th highest among 24 elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Washington County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington County Public Schools 12^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cascade Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Cascade Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	60.97	368^th	803	54.2%
2005	36.43	565^th	805	29.8%
2006	58.02	369^th	804	54.1%
2007	48.60	466^th	818	43.0%
2008	54.94	430^th	838	48.7%
2009	72.71	244^th	850	71.3%
2010	57.21	427^th	855	50.1%
2011	53.82	445^th	853	47.8%
2012	55.93	434^th	857	49.4%
2013	62.76	335^th	847	60.4%
2014	76.98	195^th	867	77.5%
2015	59.87	323^rd	859	62.4%
2016	62.02	302^nd	845	64.3%
2017	44.78	429^th	847	49.4%
2018	49.25	399^th	857	53.4%
2019	46.43	415^th	853	51.3%
2021	48.18	292^nd	802	63.6%
2022	48.77	413^th	862	52.1%
2023	51.64	359^th	855	58.0%
2024	52.83	354^th	859	58.8%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Male students at Cascade Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	49.80	278^th	788	64.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Cascade Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.36	405^th	528	23.3%

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 Cascade Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	229	80	14	17	1	n/a	n/a	341
1990	227	79	18	20	1	n/a	n/a	345
1991	259	88	17	19	0	n/a	n/a	383
1992	262	96	14	27	1	n/a	n/a	400
1993	249	88	15	27	0	n/a	n/a	379
1994	231	90	13	32	0	n/a	n/a	366
1995	278	73	16	11	2	n/a	n/a	380
1996	278	73	16	11	2	n/a	n/a	380
1997	233	97	16	12	2	n/a	n/a	360
1998	185	42	4	12	0	n/a	n/a	243
1999	151	18	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	176
2000	157	22	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	190
2001	160	24	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	189
2002	151	11	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	175
2003	151	11	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	175
2004	124	13	0	13	0	n/a	n/a	150
2005	116	6	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	135
2006	123	7	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	140
2007	145	9	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	163
2008	115	14	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	134
2009	106	14	5	1	1	n/a	n/a	127
2010	106	7	1	10	2	n/a	n/a	126
2011	169	7	3	3	2	0	7	191
2012	169	7	1	2	1	0	9	189
2013	178	5	1	3	1	0	13	201
2014	171	3	0	7	0	0	13	194
2015	169	0	0	6	0	0	8	183
2016	172	0	2	10	0	0	7	191
2017	159	1	1	10	0	0	6	177
2018	155	1	1	12	0	0	3	172
2019	149	2	2	8	0	0	3	164
2020	139	1	2	6	0	0	2	150
2021	121	1	1	4	1	0	2	130
2022	119	2	2	11	1	0	4	139
2023	119	1	2	12	1	0	11	146
2024	116	0	3	12	1	0	12	144

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 Cascade Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	341	16.0	21.3	n/a
1990	345	17.5	19.7	15.7
1991	383	18.6	20.5	17
1992	400	20.0	20.0	23
1993	379	21.4	17.7	24.3
1994	366	21.0	17.4	25.1
1995	380	19.6	19.4	21.8
1996	380	19.6	19.4	21.8
1997	360	19.5	18.5	20.3
1998	243	17.0	14.3	23.5
1999	176	17.0	10.4	39.8
2000	190	14.0	13.6	42.1
2001	189	12.0	15.8	39.7
2002	175	12.5	14.0	45.1
2003	175	12.5	14.0	45.1
2004	150	11.0	13.6	44.7
2005	135	9.0	15.0	40
2006	140	8.0	17.5	40.7
2007	163	7.0	23.3	39.9
2008	134	9.5	14.1	43.3
2009	127	8.5	14.9	45.7
2010	126	8.5	14.8	46.8
2011	191	12.5	15.2	40.8
2012	189	13.5	14.0	39.7
2013	201	13.5	14.8	45.8
2014	194	12.8	15.0	49
2015	183	13.0	14.0	45.9
2016	191	12.0	15.9	44
2017	177	12.1	14.5	34.5
2018	172	10.5	16.3	43
2019	164	8.0	20.5	39
2020	150	7.0	21.4	40
2021	130	6.0	21.6	47.7
2022	139	6.0	23.1	45.3
2023	146	8.0	18.2	57.5
2024	144	8.1	17.7	56.9

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 Cascade Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	341	16.0	21.3	n/a
1990	345	17.5	19.7	15.7
1991	383	18.6	20.5	17
1992	400	20.0	20.0	23
1993	379	21.4	17.7	24.3
1994	366	21.0	17.4	25.1
1995	380	19.6	19.4	21.8
1996	380	19.6	19.4	21.8
1997	360	19.5	18.5	20.3
1998	243	17.0	14.3	23.5
1999	176	17.0	10.4	39.8
2000	190	14.0	13.6	42.1
2001	189	12.0	15.8	39.7
2002	175	12.5	14.0	45.1
2003	175	12.5	14.0	45.1
2004	150	11.0	13.6	44.7
2005	135	9.0	15.0	40
2006	140	8.0	17.5	40.7
2007	163	7.0	23.3	39.9
2008	134	9.5	14.1	43.3
2009	127	8.5	14.9	45.7
2010	126	8.5	14.8	46.8
2011	191	12.5	15.2	40.8
2012	189	13.5	14.0	39.7
2013	201	13.5	14.8	45.8
2014	194	12.8	15.0	49
2015	183	13.0	14.0	45.9
2016	191	12.0	15.9	44
2017	177	12.1	14.5	34.5
2018	172	10.5	16.3	43
2019	164	8.0	20.5	39
2020	150	7.0	21.4	40
2021	130	6.0	21.6	47.7
2022	139	6.0	23.1	45.3
2023	146	8.0	18.2	57.5
2024	144	8.1	17.7	56.9

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 Cascade Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$747 (4.9%)	$14,378 (95.1%)	$15,125
2020	$696 (4.7%)	$14,159 (95.5%)	$14,829
2021	$1,710 (10.2%)	$15,026 (89.9%)	$16,709
2022	$1,173 (7.4%)	$14,779 (92.6%)	$15,952
2023	$1,414 (8.3%)	$15,609 (91.7%)	$17,022

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cascade 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 415^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 359^th of 855 Elementary schools	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	164	146	11%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	8	12	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	149	119	20.1%
Two or More Races	3	11	266.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39%	57.5%	18.5%

Schools Near Cascade 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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th 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 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th 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
Cascade Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14519 Pennersville Rd	Cascade	21719	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8066	144	8	17.7	56.9%	116 (80.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.3%)	3 (2.1%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.3%)	52.8	354^th of 859 public elementary schools	58.8%		51.6	359^th of 855 public elementary schools	58.0%	5	43.5	35.0	28.1			34.7	52.2	60.0	40.6			49.3	22.6	$17,022	$1,414	$15,609
Sabillasville Environmental School	Public, Charter	K-7	16210-B Sabillasville Rd	Sabillasville	21780	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(240) 236-6000	183	13	13.8	30.1%	170 (92.9%)	3 (1.6%)	6 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	33.1	507^th of 859 public elementary schools	41.0%		41	447^th of 855 public elementary schools	47.7%	60	21.7	39.1		8.7	13.0	17.7	43.5	39.1	23.8	39.1	43.5	38.1	14.3	$16,855	$1,967	$14,888
Smithsburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	67 N Main St	Smithsburg	21783	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8329	367	23	16.1	45.0%	299 (81.5%)	12 (3.3%)	28 (7.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	66.5	265^th of 859 public elementary schools	69.2%		72	222^nd of 855 public elementary schools	74.0%	43	34.0	45.9	45.6			42.1	45.3	54.1	59.6			53.2	37.3	$14,460	$1,307	$13,153
Old Forge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	21615 Old Forge Rd	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8273	353	21	16.8	41.6%	289 (81.9%)	11 (3.1%)	30 (8.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	71.1	234^th of 859 public elementary schools	72.8%		43.9	424^th of 855 public elementary schools	50.4%	190	52.9	42.3	46.7			47.2	38.0	55.8	64.4			53.4	40.0	$15,599	$1,624	$13,975
Thurmont Elementary	Public	3-5	805 E Main St	Thurmont	21788	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-0900	276	19	14.8	43.1%	234 (84.8%)	3 (1.1%)	24 (8.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.3%)	53.3	351^st of 859 public elementary schools	59.1%		44.6	416^th of 855 public elementary schools	51.3%	65	54.2	39.8	25.5			39.7	45.8	55.7	40.4			47.0	19.4	$18,347	$1,035	$17,313
Emmitsburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 S Seton Ave	Emmitsburg	21727	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-1750	203	17	11.7	38.9%	160 (78.8%)	11 (5.4%)	14 (6.9%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.9%)	70.5	236^th of 859 public elementary schools	72.5%		65.7	268^th of 855 public elementary schools	68.7%	32	69.4	45.8	31.4			49.5	61.1	75.0	45.7			58.9	28.6	$21,294	$1,372	$19,923
Thurmont Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	7989 Rocky Ridge Rd	Thurmont	21788	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-2800	329	21	15.6	49.8%	274 (83.3%)	5 (1.5%)	30 (9.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.2%)								(n/a)														$20,154	$1,109	$19,045
Wolfsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12520 Wolfsville Rd	Myersville	21773	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-2250	159	10	15.5	27.0%	137 (86.2%)	1 (0.6%)	14 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.4%)	90.5	71^st of 859 public elementary schools	91.7%		79.9	164^th of 855 public elementary schools	80.8%	93	61.1	87.5	54.5			68.8	66.7	87.5	76.2			77.8	38.1	$21,114	$1,208	$19,906
Paramount Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19410 Longmeadow Rd	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8289	416	27	15.2	50.2%	223 (53.6%)	74 (17.8%)	66 (15.9%)	14 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.4%)	78	183^rd of 859 public elementary schools	78.7%		75.1	205^th of 855 public elementary schools	76.0%	22	52.5	45.3	38.9			45.2	68.3	81.0	63.9			70.8	33.3	$17,071	$1,446	$15,625
Potomac Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 E Magnolia Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8305	336	19	17.3	74.4%	140 (41.7%)	72 (21.4%)	66 (19.6%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (14.6%)	40.6	451^st of 859 public elementary schools	47.5%		57.8	315^th of 855 public elementary schools	63.2%	136	33.9	25.0	27.1			29.1	47.3	37.2	39.6			41.8	18.4	$13,768	$1,174	$12,594

Frequently Asked Questions about Cascade Elementary

Is Cascade Elementary a good school?

Cascade Elementary ranks 354^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Cascade Elementary in?

Washington County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Cascade Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cascade Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Smithsburg Middle
High : Smithsburg High

What is the racial makeup of Cascade Elementary?

Students at Cascade Elementary are 81% White, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Cascade Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 144 students attended Cascade Elementary.

Rate Cascade Elementary!

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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.