There were 9,196 students enrolled in Sumter County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.1% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that white students made up 60.4% of the student body, the largest percentage in Sumter County schools, followed by 18.8% of Hispanic students, 11.8% of Black students and 5.9% of multiracial students.
Villages Charter School registered the highest enrollment among Sumter County’s 11 schools at the time, welcoming 3,728 students.
As of the 2024-25 school year, Florida had a total of 4,471 public schools serving over 2.8 million students across the state.
As of 2025, Florida has an average student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 18:1, which is significantly worse than the national average of 15:1. The state’s worst ratios are found in high schools, with an average ratio of 21:1.
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.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), Florida ranks 50th in the U.S. in terms of teacher salaries, only ahead of West Virginia.
| School name | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villages Charter School | 3,473 | 3,728 | 7.3% |
| South Sumter High School | 1,045 | 1,058 | 1.2% |
| South Sumter Middle School | 897 | 879 | -2% |
| Webster Elementary School | 748 | 738 | -1.3% |
| Wildwood Middle/ High School | 843 | 737 | -12.6% |
| Bushnell Elementary School | 760 | 719 | -5.4% |
| Wildwood Elementary School | 940 | 658 | -30% |
| Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School | 584 | 589 | 0.9% |
| Sumter Prep Academy | 94 | 90 | -4.3% |
| Sumter County Virtual Instruction Program | 12 | 0 | -100% |
| Sumter Virtual Franchise | 0 | 0 | – |
