Sumter Times

There were 1,731 Hispanic students enrolled in Sumter County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 2.9% increase from the 1,682 Hispanic 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, Hispanic students comprised 18.8% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in Sumter County, Villages Charter School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 593 students, making up 15.9% 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 Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Villages Charter School	15.9%	3,728
South Sumter High School	20.7%	1,058
South Sumter Middle School	20.8%	879
Webster Elementary School	26.4%	738
Wildwood Middle/ High School	20.9%	737
Bushnell Elementary School	22.7%	719
Wildwood Elementary School	21.9%	658
Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School	11.4%	589
Sumter Prep Academy	14.4%	90