Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

John Humbird Elementary

Q: Is John Humbird Elementary a good school?

John Humbird Elementary ranks 470 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

470^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

John Humbird Elementary is a small, PK-5 school in Cumberland, MD, serving 242 students as part of the Allegany County Public Schools district, and it stands out for serving a highly disadvantaged population with over 85% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school presents a fascinating "poverty paradox": while its overall test scores are below state averages, it is remarkably effective with its low-socioeconomic status (SES) students, earning a 4-star rating for this subgroup in a recent year. For example, in English Language Arts (ELA), 45.1% of students are proficient, which is just 8 points below the district average, while math proficiency sits at 28.3%. However, the school faces a significant and persistent chronic absenteeism crisis, with a rate of 38.2% in the 2024-2025 school year—the second-highest among nearby schools. This is a critical barrier to academic success, even though the school spends more per student ($22,835) than most peers, highlighting how external challenges like poverty and attendance drive performance more than instruction quality alone.

Compared to its nearest neighbor, South Penn Elementary (0.86 miles away), which has a similar poverty profile (79.63% free/reduced lunch) and high spending ($23,297), John Humbird outperforms it in nearly every academic metric, with significantly higher ELA proficiency (45.1% vs. 33.2%). In contrast, Frost Elementary, just 9 miles away, has a much lower poverty rate (36.63%) and chronic absenteeism (21%), achieving top-tier results (93rd percentile, 5 stars). This comparison powerfully illustrates that John Humbird is not a low-performing school in the traditional sense; rather, it is effectively serving a very high-needs population but is overwhelmed by the external challenges of poverty and chronic absenteeism.

242

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,835

Per pupil spending ?

85.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

120 Mary St
Cumberland, MD 21502-7341

(301) 724-8842

District: Allegany County Public Schools

Students who attend John Humbird Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle
High:	Fort Hill High

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.9%

Two or more races:

14.5%

African American:

12.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare John Humbird Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Allegany County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg39%

Maryland avg39%

470^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Allegany County Public Schools

12^th of 25Allegany County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	470 of 864	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.5	461 of 865	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	514 of 859	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.7	557 of 855	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.8	480 of 862	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.3	556 of 802	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.6	398 of 853	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.7	368 of 857	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.0	426 of 847	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.3	516 of 845	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	30.6	571 of 859	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.1	514 of 867	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.2	617 of 847	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.1	581 of 857	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	29.9	658 of 853	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.5	620 of 855	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.9	625 of 850	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.7	597 of 838	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	56.9	395 of 818	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.2	355 of 804	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	68.7	264 of 805	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	68.5	281 of 803	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.2	636 of 796	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	58.7	122 of 546	77.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.9	393 of 788	50.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	11.0	498 of 528	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)78th percentile+47 vs school

Male (2021)50th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2021)20th percentile-11 vs school

White (2021)6th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%-7 vs state

Mathematics28%~ state avg

Science22%-10 vs state

4.0

1 rating

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate John Humbird Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near John Humbird Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)				MCAP Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
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	242	21	11.5	85.1%	174 (71.9%)	31 (12.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (14.5%)	41.6	470^th of 864 public elementary schools	45.6%		43.5	461^st of 865 public elementary schools	46.7%	9	31.3	19.2	30.8	28.3	47.9	30.8	51.3	45.1	22.5	$22,835	$3,547	$19,288
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	491	48	10.3	79.6%	346 (70.5%)	48 (9.8%)	13 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (16.7%)	31.1	566^th of 864 public elementary schools	34.5%		24.7	616^th of 865 public elementary schools	28.8%	50	43.4	32.3	7.3	29.6	36.8	36.9	23.6	33.2	9.1	$23,297	$3,802	$19,495
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	321	27	11.7	72.6%	229 (71.3%)	29 (9.0%)	14 (4.4%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (13.7%)	38.8	491^st of 864 public elementary schools	43.2%		46.1	443^rd of 865 public elementary schools	48.8%	48	26.7	31.3	22.2	26.5	42.2	45.8	36.4	41.2	25.9	$21,225	$3,660	$17,565
Parkside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	50 Parkside Blvd	Lavale	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 729-0085	222	17	13.0	50.5%	176 (79.3%)	10 (4.5%)	6 (2.7%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (11.3%)	72.7	247^th of 864 public elementary schools	71.4%		86.3	120^th of 865 public elementary schools	86.1%	127	36.0	46.9	44.7	43.2	52.0	75.0	57.9	62.1	44.7	$19,913	$2,950	$16,963
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	57.7%	223 (82.0%)	12 (4.4%)	5 (1.8%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (9.9%)	86.9	122^nd of 864 public elementary schools	85.9%		85.1	135^th of 865 public elementary schools	84.4%	13	65.1	67.3	51.2	61.6	79.1	75.0	65.1	73.2	38.6	$16,123	$1,270	$14,852
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	266	24	11.0	62.4%	222 (83.5%)	15 (5.6%)	12 (4.5%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.3%)	74.6	226^th of 864 public elementary schools	73.8%		72.7	233^rd of 865 public elementary schools	73.1%	7	52.6	52.6	65.8	57.0	44.7	68.4	68.4	60.5	33.3	$25,419	$3,969	$21,450
Cresaptown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13202 6th Ave	Cresaptown	21502	Allegany County	Allegany County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 729-0212	268	22	12.1	57.8%	235 (87.7%)	9 (3.4%)	5 (1.9%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.2%)	67	275^th of 864 public elementary schools	68.2%		66.4	283^rd of 865 public elementary schools	67.3%	8	70.0	39.1	29.4	44.5	66.7	47.8	55.9	55.5	40.0	$18,903	$1,983	$16,919
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	216	17	12.7	48.1%	200 (92.6%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	60	328^th of 864 public elementary schools	62.0%		60.9	326^th of 865 public elementary schools	62.3%	2	44.4	37.5	32.5	37.4	51.9	50.0	52.5	51.5	37.5	$18,765	$1,437	$17,328
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	218	20	10.6	49.1%	203 (93.1%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	52.9	385^th of 864 public elementary schools	55.4%		49.3	413^th of 865 public elementary schools	52.3%	28	32.4	28.0	42.5	35.3	35.1	56.0	55.0	48.0	32.5	$17,867	$3,898	$13,969
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	415	32	12.9	61.0%	344 (82.9%)	12 (2.9%)	11 (2.7%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.9%)	65.4	285^th of 864 public elementary schools	67.0%		68.6	269^th of 865 public elementary schools	68.9%	16	50.0	39.3	42.6	44.3	55.9	53.6	52.2	53.9	34.8	$18,222	$1,746	$16,477

Frequently Asked Questions about John Humbird Elementary

What district is John Humbird Elementary in?

Allegany County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of John Humbird Elementary?

Students at John Humbird Elementary are 72% White, 14% Two or more races, 13% African American.

What schools do graduates of John Humbird Elementary attend?

Students who attend John Humbird Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle
High : Fort Hill High

How many students attend John Humbird Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 242 students attended John Humbird Elementary.

Is John Humbird Elementary a good school?

John Humbird Elementary ranks 470^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate John Humbird Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Elementary School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Cumberland, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for John Humbird Elementary!

Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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.