There were 1,083 Black students enrolled in Sumter County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 9.4% decrease from the 1,196 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that Sumter County welcomed a total of 9,196 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 11.8% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 11 schools in Sumter County, Wildwood Middle/ High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 276 students, making up 37.4% of the school’s total student body.
Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.
A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.
| School name | % of Black Students Enrolment | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Villages Charter School | 5.4% | 3,728 |
| South Sumter High School | 9.8% | 1,058 |
| South Sumter Middle School | 9.4% | 879 |
| Webster Elementary School | 8% | 738 |
| Wildwood Middle/ High School | 37.4% | 737 |
| Bushnell Elementary School | 8.6% | 719 |
| Wildwood Elementary School | 33.6% | 658 |
| Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School | 8.8% | 589 |
| Sumter Prep Academy | 25.6% | 90 |