Enrollment
491
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cumberland, MD
South Penn Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Penn Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240003001359
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Penn Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Cumberland · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 77.2%
- free-lunch eligible
South Penn Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Penn Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Cumberland, MD.
School address
District: Allegany County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240003001359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Penn Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Penn Elementary
South Penn Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cumberland, Maryland, enrolling 491 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, South Penn Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of Maryland schools and 26% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 77.2% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 491 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 244 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #29.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 246 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cumberland's public schools, it stands alongside West Side Elementary (321 students): South Penn Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 12.8:1).
Allegany County Public Schools also operates Mountain Ridge High School (743 students) and Allegany High (719 students) alongside South Penn Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Penn Elementary compares
South Penn Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 58% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 10% in Maryland - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
52.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,465
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 246 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 70.5%
Two or More 16.7%
African American 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.5, South Penn Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Allegany County Public Schools, which includes South Penn Elementary.
$17,465
Per student
-15%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.8%
State 62.9%
Federal 14.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Penn Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Allegany High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Hill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Braddock Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Penn Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Cumberland
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Side Elementary
Standard public school
321 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Northeast Elementary
Standard public school
272 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
John Humbird Elementary
Standard public school
242 students 11:1 students per teacher
Bel Air Elementary
Standard public school
216 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Penn Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Penn Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Allegany County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Penn Elementary
How many students attend South Penn Elementary?
South Penn Elementary has 491 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cumberland, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Penn Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Penn Elementary is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Penn Elementary?
77.2% of students at South Penn Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Penn Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Penn Elementary is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Cumberland, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Penn Elementary?
South Penn Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Penn Elementary rank among schools in Cumberland?
By Resource Investment Index, South Penn Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Cumberland, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cumberland on the city page.
Is South Penn Elementary a good school?
South Penn Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Allegany County Public Schools?
Besides South Penn Elementary, Allegany County Public Schools also operates Mountain Ridge High School (743 students), Allegany High (719 students), and Fort Hill High (655 students). See the Allegany County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.