Best Public Schools in Cumberland, MD

The nine public schools in Cumberland, Maryland, part of the Allegany County Public Schools district, serve students from elementary through high school and reveal a city of stark contrasts, where high-performing schools coexist with those facing significant challenges.

Northeast Elementary stands out as the district's academic star, earning a 4-star rating with math and English proficiency rates far exceeding state averages, despite a moderate poverty rate. In contrast, South Penn Elementary is the lowest-performing school, consistently rated 1-star, with critically low test scores, the highest poverty rate, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 43.9%. Among middle schools, Braddock Middle is a consistent 4-star high-achiever, dramatically outperforming its peer Washington Middle in every subject, a gap not fully explained by poverty alone. At the high school level, Allegany High and Fort Hill High both have graduation rates above 90%, but struggle with a severe math proficiency gap (below 19%) and high chronic absenteeism (over 41%).

A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee success; the two lowest-performing schools, South Penn Elementary and John Humbird Elementary, receive the most funding per student. Meanwhile, Bel Air Elementary offers a bright spot with the city's lowest chronic absenteeism rate (16.3%) and solid academic performance, suggesting a strong school culture. Overall, while the district is rated average, families in Cumberland will find a wide range of school quality, with Northeast Elementary and Braddock Middle as top performers, and significant challenges related to poverty and attendance at other schools.