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

South Penn Elementary

Q: Is South Penn Elementary a good school?

South Penn Elementary ranks 566 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

566^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

South Penn Elementary is a PK-5 school in Cumberland, MD, serving 491 students within the Allegany County Public Schools district, where nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high-poverty community.

The most pressing issue at South Penn is a severe chronic absenteeism crisis, with 43.9% of students missing too many days in the 2024-2025 school year. This rate is more than double that of nearby schools like Bel Air Elementary (16.3%) and Mt. Savage Elementary (20.3%), and even higher than John Humbird Elementary (38.2%), which has an even higher poverty rate. This absenteeism is a major barrier to learning and is closely tied to the school's low academic performance. Additionally, South Penn shows a unique and alarming "5th-grade cliff," where math proficiency drops from 43.4% in 3rd grade to just 7.3% in 5th grade—the lowest rate of any grade or subject among all nearby schools. For comparison, Frost Elementary achieves a 77.3% math proficiency rate in 5th grade.

Despite spending $23,297 per student—significantly more than many higher-performing peers—South Penn's academic outcomes are among the lowest in the area. For example, Northeast Elementary spends 31% less per student but achieves more than double the math proficiency rate. This suggests a resource efficiency problem, where high spending on small class sizes and student needs is not translating into academic gains. The school's 2-star rating (34th percentile) contrasts sharply with Frost Elementary's 5-star rating (93rd percentile), highlighting deep inequities within the district. Urgent priorities include tackling chronic absenteeism and conducting a thorough review of 4th and 5th-grade instruction to reverse the academic decline.

491

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,297

Per pupil spending ?

79.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 E 2nd St
Cumberland, MD 21502-4249

(301) 777-1755

District: Allegany County Public Schools

Students who attend South Penn Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle
High:	Fort Hill High

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.5%

Two or more races:

16.7%

African American:

9.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare South Penn Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 34th percentile in 2016 → 34th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (29% vs 39% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 23 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg39%

Maryland avg39%

566^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^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	31.1	566 of 864	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.7	616 of 865	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	616 of 859	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	614 of 855	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	561 of 862	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.9	573 of 802	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.5	595 of 853	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	529 of 857	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	32.7	537 of 847	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	31.7	558 of 845	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	26.7	610 of 859	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	45.4	552 of 867	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	27.4	674 of 847	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.9	602 of 857	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.5	568 of 853	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	36.3	623 of 855	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.0	643 of 850	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.3	780 of 838	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	69.1	262 of 818	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	72.7	217 of 804	73.0%	★★★★☆
2005	65.5	298 of 805	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	71.1	238 of 803	70.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.5	696 of 796	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	33.6	382 of 546	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.3	518 of 788	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	21.4	129 of 136	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	11.2	495 of 528	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2021)34th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)30th percentile~ school

Female (2021)13th percentile-16 vs school

White (2021)6th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2021)5th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts33%-19 vs state

Mathematics30%+3 vs state

Science9%-23 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate South Penn Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate South Penn 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 South Penn 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
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
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
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
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
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
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 South Penn Elementary

How many students attend South Penn Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 491 students attended South Penn Elementary.

Is South Penn Elementary a good school?

South Penn Elementary ranks 566^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is South Penn Elementary in?

Allegany County Public Schools

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

What is the racial makeup of South Penn Elementary?

Students at South Penn Elementary are 70% White, 17% Two or more races, 10% African American, 3% Hispanic.

Rate South Penn 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 South Penn 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.