Enrollment
321
Elementary
DISTRICT 280 · STATE 481
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ALLEGANY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 240003000032
West Side Elementary
425 Paca St, Cumberland, MD 21502 · (301) 724-0340 · Allegany County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL321 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 60% of Maryland public elementary schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Maryland public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.8:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
233 students
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 20 | 6% |
| Kindergarten | 53 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 53 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 47 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 47 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 49 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 52 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (53) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (52).
Student demographics
46%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 28% · STATE 73% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MCAP 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 3-4)English Language Arts
56.1%
MD avg 50.6% . +15.1pp since 2023
Math
39.0%
MD avg 34.8% . +7.5pp since 2023
What this means: On the MCAP, Maryland's statewide test, about 56 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 39 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Maryland schools, those numbers are about 51 and 35. Reading and writing scores are up about 15 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 8 points.
MCAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 56.1% | 39.0% |
| 2023-24 | 41.0% | 31.5% |
% Proficient (Levels 3-4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
41.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
31.3%
based on MD schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 42% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 31% typical for Maryland schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Maryland's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like West Side Elementary
West Side Elementary's state test result (41.9% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Side Elementary this school | 321 | 72.6% | 41.9% |
| Bainbridge Elementary Port Deposit | 294 | 64.3% | 42.6% |
| Yough Glades Elementary Oakland | 299 | 73.6% | 41.3% |
| Westernport Elementary Westernport | 248 | 69.8% | 43.6% |
| George's Creek Elementary Lonaconing | 272 | 69.1% | 50.0% |
| Cash Valley Elementary Lavale | 266 | 62.4% | 39.0% |
Matched among Maryland elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West Side Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Maryland | In Allegany County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.9% | #453 of 853 | #12 of 14 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 39.0% | #445 of 853 ▲ 84 | #10 of 14 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 56.1% | #343 of 853 ▲ 148 | #8 of 14 ▲ 3 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 321 | #723 of 898 | #3 of 14 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.8:1 | #149 of 857 | #5 of 14 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 46.2% | #570 of 857 | #2 of 14 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.6% | #247 of 885 | #3 of 14 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -17.7% | #181 of 551 | #1 of 12 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
321
+2 (+1%) vs 2020
-6% since 1990-91, when it was 340
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
was 12.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 321 | 27.3 | 11.8:1 | 73% (233) |
| 2023-24 | 306 | 24.5 | 12.5:1 | 71% (217) |
| 2022-23 | 305 | 25 | 12.2:1 | 69% (210) |
| 2020-21 | 319 | 26 | 12.3:1 | 57% (183) |
| 2017-18 | 390 | 25 | 15.6:1 | 58% (226) |
| 2015-16 | 397 | 23 | 17.3:1 | 66% (263) |
| 2010-11 | 342 | 21 | 16.3:1 | 68% (231) |
| 2000-01 | 358 | 22 | 16.3:1 | 67% (239) |
| 1990-91 | 340 | 17 | 20.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Side Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 18% (390 to 321); teachers up 9% (25 to 27.3).
About West Side Elementary
West Side Elementary is a small elementary school in Cumberland, Maryland. The school's 321 students are in pre-K through 5. Statewide, elementary schools in Maryland average about 481 students each.
West Side Elementary is among 22 schools run by Allegany County Public Schools, which serves 8,113 students.
By race and ethnicity, West Side Elementary is 71% White. It is also 14% multiracial, 9% Black, and 4% Hispanic. For comparison, the population of Allegany County is roughly 87% White. By the diversity index, West Side Elementary comes in at 46%.
A ratio of 11.8:1 comes from the school's 27.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. The 13.8:1 average for elementary schools in Maryland is higher than this school's figure. The lunch program counts 73% of students at West Side Elementary as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That is 15 points above the 58% average for public schools in Allegany County.
Measured against Maryland public elementary schools, West Side Elementary receives a B. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
BeatsExpectations compares each school's average proficiency rate on state tests with a prediction based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. For West Side Elementary, the prediction is 31.3% and the result is 41.9%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Allegany County, median household income is about $59,603, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 21% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 11%. West Side Elementary is one of 22 public schools in Allegany County, which together enroll about 8,113 students.
The shortest distance from West Side Elementary to another public school is about 1.1 miles, to Braddock Middle. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. By average proficiency, West Side Elementary is 4th among 9 schools close by.
Under the NCES locale system, West Side Elementary is Town: Remote.
Enrollment at West Side Elementary was 319 in 2020-21 and 321 in 2024-25, a change of less than 3%.
Topics for discussion here include sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Allegany County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
67,452
Census ACS
Median income
$59,603
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
22
8,113 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Allegany County Public Schools
- Mountain Ridge High SchoolHigh · 743 students
- Allegany HighHigh · 719 students
- Fort Hill HighHigh · 655 students
- Washington MiddleMiddle · 577 students
- Braddock MiddleMiddle · 536 students
- South Penn ElementaryElementary · 491 students
Other schools in Cumberland
- Allegany HighHigh · 719 students
- Fort Hill HighHigh · 655 students
- Washington MiddleMiddle · 577 students
- Braddock MiddleMiddle · 536 students
- South Penn ElementaryElementary · 491 students
- Northeast ElementaryElementary · 272 students
Other West Side Elementary schools
13 other US public schools in 11 states are named West Side Elementary. West Side Elementary is the 7th largest of the 14.
- West Side Elementary SchoolMarietta, GA · 556 students
- West Side Elementary SchoolRossville, GA · 471 students
- West Side ElementaryPicayune, MS · 444 students
- West Side ElementaryElkhorn, WI · 406 students
- West Side Elementary SchoolJACKSONVILLE, TX · 381 students
Nearby schools
- Braddock Middle1.1 mi · 536
- Allegany High1.3 mi · 719
- South Penn Elementary1.3 mi · 491
- Fort Hill High1.4 mi · 655
- Washington Middle1.6 mi · 577
- John Humbird Elementary1.7 mi · 242
Frequently asked questions
About West Side ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary enrolls approximately 321 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does West Side Elementary serve?
West Side Elementary serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at West Side Elementary?
Approximately 11.8:1 students per teacher at West Side Elementary.
How diverse is West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary reports a student body of 71% White, 4% Hispanic, 9% Black, 1% Asian, 14% Two or more.
What district is West Side Elementary in?
West Side Elementary is part of Allegany County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.