Best Public Schools in Zip Code 21502

The 13 schools in zip code 21502, serving Cumberland, Cresaptown, and Lavale in Maryland, are all part of the Allegany County Public Schools district and include eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools.

Standout schools in the area include Northeast Elementary, which is the top performer overall with exceptional math and English proficiency rates that far exceed district and state averages, despite serving a student body where over half qualify for free or reduced lunch. Braddock Middle is a remarkable outlier in advanced math, with proficiency rates in Algebra I and Geometry that are three to five times higher than the district average. In contrast, South Penn Elementary shows a troubling decline in student performance from 3rd to 5th grade, with 5th-grade math proficiency dropping to just 7.3%. The Center for Career & Technical Education has the lowest academic scores and highest per-student spending, while Bel Air Elementary has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 16.3%.

Key takeaways for parents include that high spending does not guarantee strong results, as Northeast Elementary and Allegany High are among the lowest-spending schools yet are top performers. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue, especially at the secondary level, with Fort Hill High at 45.4% and Washington Middle at 42.8%. High schools show a notable strength in English Language Arts, with both Allegany High and Fort Hill High exceeding the state average, while math scores generally lag behind state benchmarks.