Hour of Code

School Superintendent Rick Shirley and his STEM Advisory team challenged every school in the district to host an Hour of Code™ during Computer Science Education Week

Fortify Florida App Is Now Available

We are pleased to announce that the FortifyFL app is LIVE

Art in the Capitol Middle School Competition Results

Middle school students from across the county submitted original pieces of art to the district’s first ever Art in the Capitol competition. “The pieces included paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated art and photographs. The theme of the competition was Natural Florida.

NOTICE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

Sumter District Controlled Open Enrollment Dates for the 2019-2020 School Year

***ONLY NEW APPLICANTS WISHING TO ATTEND OUT OF THEIR ZONED AREA OR STUDENTS THAT WILL BE PROMOTED UP TO THE NEXT SCHOOL LEVEL (ie: ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE OR MIDDLE TO HIGH)*** Sumter Residents - Applications Accepted March 11 - April 12, 2019. Out of County Residents - Applications Accepted April 29 - May 13, 2019.

The Right Steps to Student Safety

Prevent - Plan - Prepare. There is nothing more important than the safety of the children in our care.

Tax Information

With the Superintendent's recommendation and School Board Members unanimous approval, the Budget met the rollback rate for the 11th consecutive year.

Back to school tax holiday

During this sales tax holiday period, Florida law directs that no sales tax or local option tax (also known as discretionary sales surtax) will be collected on purchases of: • Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item • Certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item

SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT WELCOMES RETURN OF STUDENTS

Welcome School days are back! School Superintendent Richard A. Shirley, on behalf of school principals and staff, the Sumter School Board and district staff, welcomes students back on August 13, 2018 for the beginning of a new school year. Parents and students are invited to attend orientations and technology days, as scheduled below, to locate classrooms, meet teachers, secure transportation, and receive supply lists and dress code information. All adult family members should bring a valid photo ID to check in at schools.

High School Technology Days

This is the time for students to receive their laptop and load relevant applications and software.

Student Device Repair Insurance Program

Pending Board Approval the District intends to offer a Student Device Repair Insurance Program for laptops assigned to students.

Sumter Earns “A” Rating!

Superintendent, Rick Shirley, is pleased to announce Sumter is one of twenty “A” districts and is ranked 17th out of 67 school districts in Florida according to a preliminary school grades press release by the Department of Education. Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School and The Villages Charter School received “A” ratings. South Sumter High School increased 28 points, moving up a letter grade and earning a school rating of “B”. South Sumter Middle School and Webster Elementary School also earned “B” ratings. Both Wildwood Middle High (+89 points) and South Sumter Middle (+36 points) had significant increases in total points earned narrowly missing an increased grade rating. Bushnell Elementary, Wildwood Elementary and Wildwood Middle High earned “C” ratings.

Sumter Surpasses the State Average on State Assessments

Sumter County is among the top school districts on state assessments, according to the latest wave of preliminary testing information released by the Department of Education. The data shows the percent of students proficient by state, district and school. These categories show how the students of Sumter performed on the tests compared to all other students in Florida who took the same test. Students in Sumter exceeded the state average in grades 3-10 on the English Language Arts FSA, grades 3-8 on the Mathematics FSA, and grades 5 and 8 on the Statewide Science Assessment! End of Course exam results for Biology, Geometry, Civics and US History were also at or above the state average. School superintendent Rick Shirley said, "We are proud of the efforts of our students and staff, and we will continue looking for ways to improve any areas of weakness."

Jr. LEGO League Robotics Expo

Elementary students in Sumter “Got Pumped” for the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. 2018 season EXPO held at Webster Elementary School on Friday, May 18, 2018. In the AQUA ADVENTURE Challenge, seventy-four Sumter students navigated the uncharted waters of this important resource. Students were challenged to find where the water we use in our daily life comes from and what happens on its way to us.

The 34th Annual Sumter Scholarship Golf Tournament Was a Success!!!

Tournament was held on May 5, 2018 at Belle Glade Country Club. This tournament is to raise funds for scholarships for SSHS & WMHS Seniors to attend Lake Sumter State College.

2018 Outstanding Volunteers and Outstanding Service to Schools

Volunteers and mentors were honored for over 89,000 hours of service to schools during the 2018 school year at the April 17th School Board meeting. During the ceremony dozens of people and organizations that donate their time, talents and money to support the students of the school district were recognized. Superintendent Richard A. Shirley commented, “We are so appreciative of their service! They help our students tremendously and develop a great bond to help them succeed!”

Solar Powered Car STEM CHALLENGE

Let’s run on the Sun! Eighth grade students from Wildwood Middle High and South Sumter Middle participated in the school district’s second annual Solar Powered Car STEM Challenge. The challenge was created in response to Superintendent Richard A. Shirley and his STEM Advisory team’s endeavor to increase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) opportunities for students across the district helping prepare them for college or careers upon graduation.

Students Pitch Business Concepts at 3rd Annual Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs Live Event

Students Pitch Business Concepts at 3rd Annual Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs Live Event Bushnell, Florida – The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Sumter County as was so evident at the “Shark Tank-like” event that took place on Thursday, April 12, at the Wildwood Community Center. Seventy seven (77) applications were submitted as startup business ideas to compete for cash prizes in the Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs event! All three Sumter County High Schools were represented in this third annual event. The business plans first went through a round of rigorous online judging. The top two projects from each school were invited to pitch their concepts at a live event for cash awards.

Women's Solar Power Camp

Want to be part of a leading energy innovation? Women’s S olar Power Summer Camp 2018 June 25th - 28th Monday through Thursday 8:30am to 3:30pm Lake-Sumter State College Sumter Center 1405 County Road 526A Sumterville, FL 33585 Register by June 1 LSSC.edu/SolarCamp Have you ever been curious about what makes the lights come on at night? How about being in charge of making sure that they do? The Women’s Solar Power Summer Camp offers young women in school (grades 8th through 12th) the opportunity to explore the innovative engineering technology field of solar energy. This is a free STEM-themed program, so all young women interested in STEM are encouraged to attend.

April 17, 2018 – 6:30 PM – Workshop – Public input regarding Senate Bill 7026 and school safety

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, the Sumter County School Board will meet for a workshop for public input regarding SB 7026. This workshop will take place at 6:30 PM in the School Board Meeting Room at the Sumter County School Board, 2680 W C-476, Bushnell, Florida.

April 3, 2018 Board Workshop Video

This article includes the links to the videos of the Board Workshop held on April 3, 2018

11th Annual Earth Day Celebration Save the Date

The 11th Annual Earth Day Celebration, a partnership activity of the Sumter County School Board and CEMEX, is just around the corner! The celebration is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the CEMEX Center Hill mine on CR 48 in Center Hill.

SSMS is one of only 16 AVID National Demonstration Schools in the state of Florida!

SSMS is one of only 16 AVID National Demonstration Schools in the state of Florida!

NAFEPA State Leadership Award Recipient

It is with great pleasure that the Sumter County School Board announces Mrs. Helen Christian as the 2018 recipient of the NAFEPA State Leadership Award! Mrs. Helen Christian, Director of Elementary Education for the Sumter County School District

Math Field Day Results

The Sumter County School District recently held the 21st annual Math Field Day competition! The Math Field Day competition encourages students to develop an interest in mathematics through friendly competition. Teams of students ranging from fourth grade to twelfth grade attend the competition from each of the Sumter County schools. During this all day event students rotated through four separate competitions challenging their mathematical ability in computation, mental math and estimation.

Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs

Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs - The finale event with live judging will be held on Thursday, April 12, at the Wildwood Community Center, from 6 – 8 p.m. Dinner is catered by La Hacienda at $15 per plate. A wonderful dinner includes an herb roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, tossed salad, dinner rolls, and apple cobbler. Seating is LIMITED with a max of 6 per table. Please purchase your tickets NOW!! See below for the link. Finalists and two family members and the live judges will receive complimentary dinners. The audience will participate in online voting for the People’s Choice Award! Dinner sponsors have helped to keep the cost of the dinner low! Thank you to Lake Sumter State College Foundation, American Golf Cart Association, and Andreyev Engineering! Thank you to My Garage for securing the location! Thank you to United Way of Lake and Sumter for providing the online dinner reservation/payment system!

South Sumter Middle School selected as an AVID National Demonstration School!!

South Sumter Middle School selected as an AVID National Demonstration School!! A National Demonstration School exhibits a college readiness system that is evident across the campus through rigor and high expectations for all students. AVID National Demonstration Schools are centers of teaching and learning. They clearly demonstrate an ongoing pursuit of excellence, both in the AVID Elective and AVID Schoolwide, to ensure college readiness for all AVID Elective students and improved academic performance for all students based on increased opportunities and support for success.

Jr. LEGO League Robotics Expo

Elementary students in Sumter “Got Pumped” for the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. 2018 season EXPO held at Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School on Friday, February 16, 2018

County Spelling Bee

The Sumter County Spelling Bee was held on February 14, 2018. The top students from the school spelling bees participated. The following students represented the schools:

Big Springs Regional Science Fair

The 2018 Big Springs Regional Science Fair brought out the best and brightest middle and high school students to discuss their science research, experimental designs, and interesting conclusions with a host of judges from a variety of professions. Sumter County students joined the competition with students from Marion and Levy Counties.

Sunshine State Scholar

Andrew Ashley, of South Sumter High School, has been selected as the 2018 Sunshine State Scholar for Sumter County Schools. Sponsored by the Florida Education Foundation, the Sunshine State Scholars program aims to retain intellectual talent in Florida. Each district in the state is asked to identify the top 11th- grade students in the areas of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

South Sumter High School to Participate in the College Board AP Capstone Diploma Program

Diploma Program Focuses on College-Level Independent Research, Collaborative Teamwork, and Communication and Writing Skills Crucial for College and Career Success South Sumter High School is one of approximately 1,500 schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone™ diploma program—an innovative program that allows students to develop skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration, and communication. The program consists of two courses taken in sequence: AP® Seminar and AP Research. Developed in direct response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers. AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific study of other Advanced Placement® courses and exams.

The Third Annual Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs contest kicked off on January 29 but YOU have time to be involved!

Sumter County School Board, Sumter Chamber of Commerce, My Garage, and United Way of Lake and Sumter have partnered to kick off this exciting entrepreneurial event. The Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs contest aims to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship among high school students at South Sumter High, Wildwood Middle High, and The Villages Charter High schools. Students, aged 16 and over, are invited to submit their best startup business ideas for a chance to win cash prizes that could be used to support business startup costs or advance educational opportunities.

Diploma Program Focuses on College-Level Independent Research, Collaborative Teamwork, and Communication and Writing Skills Crucial for College and Career Success

Diploma Program Focuses on College-Level Independent Research, Collaborative Teamwork, and Communication and Writing Skills Crucial for College and Career Success

Students in Sumter County schools participated in the Hour of Code

Students in Sumter County schools participated in the Hour of Code as part of Computer Science Education Week and were among tens of millions of people around the world to take part in the largest learning event in history. More than 4,700 students from all grades in Sumter completed 6,275 Hours of Code exceeding participation levels in 2016 of 3,000 hours.

LAKE PANASOFFKEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN 2017

November 28th, 2017: The National Title I Association is pleased to announce that Lake Panasoffkee Elementary from Lake Panasoffkee, Florida has been named a National Title I Distinguished School by the state education agency in Florida. Lake Panasoffkee Elementary is one of up to 100 schools throughout the country that is being nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement in 2017.

School Messenger Opt-In Information

Our school district utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more.* You can participate in this free service* just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587

Proposed IRMA Make-up Schedule 2017-18

Proposed IRMA Make-up Schedule 2017-18, Contingent upon approved two day waiver* for both students and employees. Please read for more information.

The Sumter County school district is hosting an Art in the Capitol competition for students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade.

The Sumter County school district is hosting an Art in the Capitol competition for students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. All public, charter, private and homeschool students are eligible to participate. All entries are due Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The theme of the competition is Fresh Slices of Old Florida. The piece of artwork selected as Best of Show will be sent to the Florida Capitol to be on display during the Legislative session.

Sumter Students Earn Industry Certifications

Exciting news! At a time when workforce demands for technical skills and industry certification are at an all-time high, the schools in Sumter County have increased the number of students earning industry-relevant credentials by (31%) with 266 industry certifications awarded this school year!

RISE Summer Math Academy Completes 4th Summer

The 4th Annual RISE Summer Math Academy for South Sumter High (SSHS) and Wildwood Middle High School (WMHS) students ran from June 5 – June 22, 2017.

Sumter is a Top Florida School District

School Superintendent Rick Shirley is pleased to announce Sumter is ranked 16th out of 67 school districts in Florida according to a preliminary school grades press release by the Department of Education. Bushnell Elementary, Lake Panasoffkee Elementary and The Villages Charter received “A” ratings. Wildwood Elementary School increased 124 points, moving up two letter grades and earning a school rating of “B”. South Sumter Middle and Webster Elementary also earned “B” ratings. South Sumter High School and Wildwood Middle High School earned “C” ratings despite a significant increase in total points earned. Sumter is one of thirty-seven “B” districts with only eleven “A” districts statewide.

Sumter Surpasses the State Average on State Assessments

Sumter County is among the top school districts on state assessments, according to the latest wave of preliminary testing information released by the Department of Education. The data shows the percent of students proficient by state, district and school. These categories show how the students of Sumter performed on the tests compared to all other students in Florida who took the same test. Students in Sumter exceeded the state average in grades 3-10 on the English Language Arts FSA, grades 3-8 on the Mathematics FSA, and grades 5 and 8 on the Statewide Science Assessment! End of Course exam results for Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Civics and US History were also above the state average. School superintendent Rick Shirley said, "We are proud of the efforts of our students and staff, and we will continue looking for ways to improve any areas of weakness."

2017 Florida Department of Education Commissioner’s Award of Excellence

CEMEX Florida was presented the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence on June 14, 2017 in Orlando for their work with the students in Sumter County schools. Rick Shirley, Superintendent said, “CEMEX is one of our best partners.

NOTICE OF SUMTER COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD LEASING CORPORATION MEETING

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Sumter County School Board Leasing Corporation, will be held at 5:30 PM during the regularly scheduled meeting on June 19, 2017, in the Sumter County School Board Meeting Room, 2680 W. C-476, Bushnell, Florida

Sumter County School Board Prescription Plan

Sumter County School Board Prescription Plan Click on BOLD text to learn more.

Equity Vocational Opportunities

The Sumter County School District offers a number of exciting Career and Technical Education opportunities to students. The district offers numerous programs, which typically consist of three to four courses in an articulated sequence, that are aligned to entry level job skills. The programs and some of the industry credentials can also articulate into college credit at various state colleges in the area. Local employers recognize many of the industry credentials as well.

Students Pitch Business Concepts at Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs Live Judging Event

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Sumter County as was so evident at the “Shark Tank-like” event that took place on Thursday, April 20, at the Lake Panasoffkee Elementary cafetorium. One hundred twenty three (123) applications were submitted as startup business ideas to compete for cash prizes in the Sumter’s Future Entrepreneurs event! Of the 123 submissions (both team and solo), 79 came from South Sumter High and 28 from Wildwood Middle High School. The business plans first went through a round of online judging.

Solar Powered Car STEM CHALLENGE

Let’s run on the Sun! Eighth grade students from Wildwood Middle High and South Sumter Middle participated in the school district’s second annual Solar Powered Car STEM Challenge.

Florida State Science and Engineering Fair

Students from the Big Springs Region (Marion and Sumter County) won big at the 62nd Annual State Science and Engineering Fair March 28-30, 2017 in Lakeland Florida.

Students Prepare for Sumter's Future Entrepreneurs Live Competition

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Sumter County as is clearly indicated by the significant increase in applications submitted from last year at this time. This year, both South Sumter High (SSHS) and Wildwood Middle High (WMHS) students jumped into the “Shark Tank.”

Sumter County School RElated Employees of the Year

Education support personnel were recognized for being named the School Related Employee of the Year by the Sumter County School Board. Family, friends and co-workers accompanied these honorees to a reception at the Sumter County School Board Office, and to the awards presentation ceremony that followed. Individual well-wishes were given by Superintendent, Rick Shirley and by each school board member.

First Inspires Robotics

Ready, Set, Robots! Robo Raiders and Raider Creators are two new robotics teams in the Sumter County Schools for the 2016-2017 school year.

SMS text feature for our call out system

We are adding text messaging capability to SchoolMessenger, the system we use now for automated phone calls and emails.

Big Springs Regional Science Fair

The 2017 Big Springs Regional Science Fair brought out the best and brightest middle and high school students to discuss their science research, experimental designs, and interesting conclusions with a host of judges from a variety of professions. Sumter County students joined the competition with students from Marion and Levy Counties.

Notice of School Board Meeting Cancellation

The Board Meeting scheduled for March 21, 2017 has been cancelled.

AVID Students Perfect the Art of Public Speaking!

On February 2, 2017AVID students joined together to participate in the 5th Annual Sumter County AVID Speech Contest. The top contenders to compete were: Sydney Bagony, Katie Olsen, Anel Paniagua, Krisha Patel, Taqouia Schroeder, and Carnyla Williams (middle school category); Sarah Fazekas, Ariana Hernandez, Baily Huttel, Emily McDonald, Alexia Morgan and Kaley Razo (9-10th grade high school category); and Brandon Clark, Manuel Miranda, Kari Niblack, Lauren Schoeneman, McKenna Wright, Caris Vogel (11-12th grade high school category).

School Board Meeting Schedule and Locations Set for the New Year

The Sumter County School Board unanimously approved a revised 2017 School Board meeting schedule at the January School Board meeting. Meetings are generally scheduled for the first and third Tuesday of every month. Long time Board Member Haydn Evans brought up the idea of resuming quarterly meetings in Wildwood. Superintendent Rick Shirley said, “We aim to serve the public in the most user friendly way possible and we hope these meeting locations make it easier for the public to attend and be involved.”

Hour of Code

Students in Sumter County schools participated in the Hour of Code as part of Computer Science Education Week and were among tens of millions of people around the world to take part in the largest learning event in history. More than 3,000 students from all grades in Sumter completed at least one Hour of Code. Students and teachers chose from a variety of activities for kindergarten and up using desktop computers, laptops, interactive white boards, Promethean tables and iPads.

Sumter STEM Vision-Are You In?

Sumter teachers are leading the state in instructional practices that promote STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) learning as a result of their year-long involvement and intensive training through the Lake and Sumter Math Science Partnership grant

Art in the Capitol Middle School Competition Results

Middle school students from across the county submitted original pieces of art to the district’s first ever Art in the Capitol competition. “The pieces included paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated art and photographs.

Art in the Capitol Middle School Competition

The Sumter County school district is hosting an Art in the Capitol competition for students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. All public, charter, private and homeschool students are eligible to participate. All entries are due Monday, November 29, 2016.

Harnessing Technology to Enhance Student Learning

A digital classroom is one of many important tools to help our students be successful in today’s rapidly changing global society. Schools in Sumter County have secured the electronic infrastructure needed for breakthroughs in digital learning, thanks to the support of Superintendent Rick Shirley and the Sumter County School Board.

Sumter Students are Earning Industry Certifications at a Higher Rate than Ever Before

Exciting news! At a time when workforce demands for technical skills and industry certification are at an all-time high, the schools in Sumter County have increased the number of students earning industry-relevant credentials by twenty-five percent (25%) with 203 industry certifications awarded this school year!

Sumter is a Top Florida School District

School Superintendent Rick Shirley is pleased to announce Sumter is ranked 11th out of 67 school districts moving up from 17th in Florida according to a preliminary school grades press release by the Department of Education.

SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT WELCOMES RETURN OF STUDENTS

School Superintendent Richard Shirley, on behalf of the Sumter School District, welcomes students on August 10, 2016 for the beginning of a new school year.

School Grades

A Message from the Central Florida Public School Board Coalition

State Junior Solar Sprint Champions

Maria Alberran and Blake Gonzalez (The Flashers) of South Sumter Middle School placed third in the state Junior Solar Sprint competition in Cocoa Beach on Saturday, May 14th.

Vocational Press Release

The Sumter County School District offers a number of exciting Career and Technical Education opportunities to students.

Sumter Surpasses the State Average on State Assessments

Sumter County is among the top school districts on state exams, according to the latest wave of preliminary testing information released by the Department of Education.

Commissioner’s Business/Volunteer Recognition Awards

Marie Elfton and Rhonda Casey from Tutors for Kids, Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, Sumter School Superintendent Rick Shirley are shown

Sumter Schools Have Been Named to the Gaston Caperton Opportunity Honor Roll

The Sumter School District is one of only 130 School Districts nationwide to be so honored.

Sumter County's School-Related Employee of the Year Announced

Ms. Eartha Taylor of Wildwood Elementary School, has been selected as the Sumter County School-Related Employee of the Year.

Sumter Surpasses the State Average on FCAT and EOC’s

According to a recent memo released by the Florida Department of Education, the students in Sumter District Schools performed above the state average in all tested areas. Scores were recently released for FCAT Science for grades five and eight and End-of-Course Exams in Biology, U.S. History and Civics.

Sumter School District Receives $2.1 Million 21st CCLC Grant

Thanks to a 5 year $2.1 million federal grant funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC), students attending four of Sumter’s schools will be offered after school programing throughout the school year.