West Side Elementary

Set in Cumberland, Maryland, West Side Elementary is a compact elementary school, one of the schools within Allegany County Public Schools. It works with 321 students across grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 33% below the typical public school in Maryland, which averages around 481 students.

Within Allegany County Public Schools, which oversees 22 schools and 8,113 students, West Side Elementary is one campus in the system.

On demographics, West Side Elementary shows that 71% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 14% multiracial, 9% Black, 4% Hispanic. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 87%.

In terms of school funding signals, West Side Elementary lists 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting West Side Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 73% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Allegany County's rate of about 58%.

With demographic context factored in, West Side Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 31.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 41.9%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Allegany County) records that median household earnings sit near $59,603, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Allegany County runs 22 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,113 students), of which West Side Elementary is one.

Braddock Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around West Side Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts West Side Elementary at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 40.6%.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at West Side Elementary has edged down 18%, going from 390 students in 2018 to 321 in 2025. The White share of enrollment ticked down from 79% to 71% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for West Side Elementary typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.