The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Cumberland School
Cumberland School is a regular public elementary school in Lansing, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade as part of the Lansing Public School District. It sits on Cumberland Road on the north side of the city, in a neighborhood where home values run well below both state and national benchmarks. The surrounding ZIP code reflects an affordable housing market, with typical rents also modest compared with broader state figures. For families tied to the area by work or family, housing costs here are relatively accessible.
The student body is small for an elementary school, with roughly even distribution across kindergarten through fourth grade. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Cumberland among schools serving a high-poverty community. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse, with the largest groups being Black, white, and Hispanic students, along with smaller Asian and multiracial populations. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those dimensions of the school's student support profile are not visible here.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments, Cumberland's results from the most recent school year show proficiency rates that sit below what most Ingham County districts post. In math, roughly a quarter of third graders and a similar share of fifth graders reached proficiency, while fourth grade math was lower. English language arts followed a similar pattern, with just over a quarter of third graders proficient and close to a third of fifth graders. Fifth grade science landed near the quarter mark, and fifth grade social studies was the lowest result reported. Placed against districts in Ingham County, Cumberland's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. These are soft spots a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly around what instructional supports and interventions are in place for students performing below grade level. The data does not include participation rates, so it is not possible to assess whether testing engagement affected these results.
Because Cumberland is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band rather than a missing result. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available. The school's Title I status, magnet designation, and discipline data were not reported in the available records.
Lansing itself is Michigan's state capital, and the city's economy is anchored by state government, several national insurance companies headquartered locally, healthcare systems, and General Motors manufacturing. Michigan State University sits in neighboring East Lansing. The city has a river trail system along the Grand River, and the downtown core contains the state capitol building. Public reporting indicates the Lansing Public School District recently passed a bond that funds a new early childhood center, a rebuilt Willow Elementary, and facility and security upgrades across the district, structured without increasing the current tax rate. At the same time, the district is contending with a budget deficit and declining enrollment, and publicly reported discussions about potential school consolidation have begun, though no specific buildings have been named. Families considering Cumberland should be aware that broader district financial pressures could eventually affect programming and staffing decisions.
What Cumberland offers is a small, community-rooted elementary option in an affordable Lansing neighborhood, with a diverse student population and a district investing in facilities. The academic results are currently below county norms, and the school's capacity to close that gap will likely depend on the supports it puts in place and the district's ability to stabilize its finances. A parent weighing this school would benefit from asking directly about intervention programs, class sizes, and how the district's budget situation might affect Cumberland specifically.
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