Sumter Times

There were 54 multiracial students enrolled in Sumter County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 89.4% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Sumter County School District welcomed 719 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 7% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the district.

Sumter County School District roughly covers 11 schools within Sumter County, and has a main office in Bushnell.

Among the 11 schools in Sumter County School District, South Sumter Middle School recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 57 students.

Meanwhile, Florida continues to face a teacher shortage in the 2023-24 school year. Despite some improvements, the state reported nearly 4,800 instructional vacancies at the beginning of the year. According to the Florida Department of Education, core subjects such as English, reading, and math among the areas with the highest demand for teachers.

According to the National Education Association (NEA), Florida ranked 50th in the U.S. for teacher pay in the 2022-23 school year, with salaries lower than they were a decade ago when adjusted for inflation.

Governor DeSantis's budget for the 2024-25 school year allocates nearly $38 billion for education, with $1.25 billion dedicated to teachers' salaries and other instructional personnel.

School Year	Total District Enrollment	Total multiracial Students	multiracial %
2023-24	719	54	7%%
2022-23	9,404	511	5.4%%
2021-22	8,912	458	5.1%%
2020-21	8,675	448	5.2%%
2019-20	8,966	437	4.9%%
2018-19	8,840	419	4.7%%
2017-18	8,648	396	4.6%%