The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cresaptown Elementary
Cresaptown Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in the unincorporated community of Cresaptown, roughly six miles southwest of Cumberland in Allegany County. The school draws from a small census-designated place whose character is shaped by the presence of several state correctional institutions; North Branch Correctional Institution, a supermax facility, and Western Correctional Institution sit within the CDP, alongside the Allegany County Detention Center. The 372nd Military Police Company is also based here. The population has declined and the CDP boundaries were redrawn, meaning the community a parent sees today is smaller than it was in earlier decades. Median home values and rents in the area sit well below state and national benchmarks, and housing costs make up a modest share of income. The commute to work for most residents runs toward Cumberland.
The school itself is a regular public elementary school, not a charter or magnet. Enrollment is moderate, with each grade from kindergarten through fifth having cohorts that are generally similar in size, plus a prekindergarten program. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is one indicator of the economic profile of the families the school serves. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of students who are Black, Hispanic, or identify with two or more races. Data on the percentage of students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
On state testing, the results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, performance varies by grade and sits at a level that is at or above the midpoint of proficiency among tested grades. Fourth and fifth graders posted proficiency rates that are in a moderate range, while third-grade results were reported as a range rather than a single number. In math, the proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five are lower, falling inside a range that is below the midpoint. Fifth-grade science results are also on the lower side. This is only one year of data from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, and because only a single year is available for this school, no trend can be shown. A parent interested in how the school is performing relative to others would find that a county-district comparison was not possible; Allegany County contains only this one school district, so there is no cohort of nearby districts to compare against.
The district, Allegany County Public Schools, has a Chinese Partial Immersion Program that is offered at the elementary level, and as of recent reporting a proposal existed to extend it into high school. Cresaptown Elementary's own program offerings were not detailed in the available data, so it is unclear whether this immersion option is housed at this particular school. The district also recently conducted an Elementary Schools Facility Utilization Study, which can precede decisions about attendance boundaries, school consolidations, or closures. A family moving into the area may want to check directly with the school or district about which programs are available on site and whether any facility changes are under consideration.
The school environment data, including discipline rates, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism, was not available, nor were civil rights or course access details. Cresaptown Elementary is a neighborhood school in a community that has a post office and a handful of institutional anchors but no formal downtown. The nearest civic and cultural resources are in Cumberland, a short drive northeast. For a parent, this is a straightforward elementary school serving a small, economically modest community, with academic results that are stronger in reading than in math and science, and with a district-level language immersion program that may be an attraction depending on where it is located.
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