Enrollment
321
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240003000032
West Side Elementary — Cumberland, MD
Federal NCES profile for West Side Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 5
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Allegany County Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Side Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Side Elementary reports 321 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% below the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 66.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 36% above the Maryland average and 29% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 321 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 38.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Allegany County Public Schools spends $18,760 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $22,498 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.8% from local sources (property taxes), 62.9% from the state, and 14.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Side Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.6% | ▲ 36% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 17% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
66.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 36% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
— 15% below state mean
Top 17% in Maryland — lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
38.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,760
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maryland avg of $22,498
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 321 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 321 Top 17% in Maryland — larger than 83% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 12.2:1 -15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 66.6% +36% vs state
NCES ID 240003000032
Student demographics
White 71.3%
Two or More 13.7%
African American 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 321:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 38.0%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Allegany County Public Schools, which includes West Side Elementary.
$18,760
Per student
-17%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
Similar other schools in Cumberland
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
South Penn Elementary
Standard public school
491 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Northeast Elementary
Standard public school
272 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
John Humbird Elementary
Standard public school
242 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Bel Air Elementary
Standard public school
216 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Side Elementary
How many students attend West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary has 321 students enrolled. It is a other school in Cumberland, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Side Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Side Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Side Elementary?
66.6% of students at West Side Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Side Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Side Elementary is White at 71.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Cumberland, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.