white students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Sumter County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Of the 9,598 students attending Sumter County schools, 59.3% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 19% of Sumter County students.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Sumter County, representing 59.9% of the student body.
Wildwood Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 35.3% white students, 33.6% Black students, 21.9% Hispanic students, 7.1% multiracial students, and 1.7% Asian students.
In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 2.1% when compared to the previous year.
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 Name | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bushnell Elementary School | White | 59.7% | 719 |
| Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School | White | 73.5% | 589 |
| South Sumter High School | White | 62.6% | 1,058 |
| South Sumter Middle School | White | 62% | 879 |
| Sumter County Virtual Instruction Program | White | < 10% | < 10 |
| Sumter Prep Academy | White | 53.3% | 90 |
| Sumter Virtual Franchise | White | < 10% | < 10 |
| Villages Charter School | White | 66.9% | 3,728 |
| Webster Elementary School | White | 61.1% | 738 |
| Wildwood Elementary School | White | 35.3% | 658 |
| Wildwood Middle/ High School | Black | 37.5% | 737 |
