Sumter Times

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