How are schools funded in Sumter County

[Rainger99]

I just got my first tax bill and I am trying to figure it out. There is a line for Sumter County School Board. I have spent the morning trying to find out how schools are funded. I called the Tax Collector and was given a number for the Sumter County School Board. I have been able to speak to the operator but when she tried to transfer me to the person that should know the answer, I got disconnected three straight times. I finally asked for the person's extension so that I could call directly. However, even when I called directly, it gave three quick beeps and I was disconnected. This happened three more times. I didn't even get a recording and I couldn't leave a message.

Can anyone explain how schools are funded in Sumter County? As far as I can tell, there are 10 schools under the auspices of Sumter County School Board including The Villages Charter School. Does each school get so much money per pupil or do different schools get a different amount? For example, does the charter school get more money than Wildwood High School? Thanks.

[dewilson58]

Google is your friend.

[Bill14564]

Using the advice above, try looking at the Sumter County Schools Budget. There you will be able to see the various sources of income and some idea of how money is allocated. It might not answer all your questions but it will be a start.

[John Mayes]

I just got my first tax bill and I am trying to figure it out. There is a line for Sumter County School Board. I have spent the morning trying to find out how schools are funded. I called the Tax Collector and was given a number for the Sumter County School Board. I have been able to speak to the operator but when she tried to transfer me to the person that should know the answer, I got disconnected three straight times. I finally asked for the person's extension so that I could call directly. However, even when I called directly, it gave three quick beeps and I was disconnected. This happened three more times. I didn't even get a recording and I couldn't leave a message.

Can anyone explain how schools are funded in Sumter County? As far as I can tell, there are 10 schools under the auspices of Sumter County School Board including The Villages Charter School. Does each school get so much money per pupil or do different schools get a different amount? For example, does the charter school get more money than Wildwood High School? Thanks.

Not trying to sound like a jerk but why in the world would you call up the tax collector’s office or the school board and waste their time only to satisfy your curiosity?

[dewilson58]

Not trying to sound like a jerk but why in the world would you call up the tax collector’s office or the school board and waste their time only to satisfy your curiosity?

probably jus trolling

maybe trying to find white vs. black funding for schools

:024:

[Rainger99]

Not trying to sound like a jerk but why in the world would you call up the tax collector’s office or the school board and waste their time only to satisfy your curiosity?

If you have a question about school taxes and funding, who else would you call?

[Bogie Shooter]

I just got my first tax bill and I am trying to figure it out. There is a line for Sumter County School Board. I have spent the morning trying to find out how schools are funded. I called the Tax Collector and was given a number for the Sumter County School Board. I have been able to speak to the operator but when she tried to transfer me to the person that should know the answer, I got disconnected three straight times. I finally asked for the person's extension so that I could call directly. However, even when I called directly, it gave three quick beeps and I was disconnected. This happened three more times. I didn't even get a recording and I couldn't leave a message.

Can anyone explain how schools are funded in Sumter County? As far as I can tell, there are 10 schools under the auspices of Sumter County School Board including The Villages Charter School. Does each school get so much money per pupil or do different schools get a different amount? For example, does the charter school get more money than Wildwood High School? Thanks.

This site will help you sleep at night……….
Sumter District Schools / Homepage (https://www.sumter.k12.fl.us/site/default.aspx?DomainID=4)

BTW, school board meetings are open to the public.

[Rainger99]

Using the advice above, try looking at the Sumter County Schools Budget. There you will be able to see the various sources of income and some idea of how money is allocated. It might not answer all your questions but it will be a start.

That is where I started. I could only get general numbers for the entire county. I could not find specific answers for individual schools. I assume that they break it down somewhere but then again they might just bury it. That is why I posted here.

[Rainger99]

I did some more research and there is a 101 page budget report on the School's website. I have only skimmed it (it is very complicated and you probably need an accounting degree to understand it). However, I couldn't find the breakdown for the individual schools (there are either 10, 12, or 13 schools (websites differ) and there are 8675 students) but I believe that the charter school gets about 37% of the county's school taxes. There are 532 teachers so the student to teacher ratio is 16-1.

https://assets.sumter.k12.fl.us/businessoperations/Budget/2022-2023/FinalBudget-22-23.pdf

[rjm1cc]

I am not sure how. I think the trend is that the school's have been limited in the amount of funds they can raise and compared to the county their ability to tax could be less.
First the state allocates x dollars to each county on a per student basis. I have heard this is the same amount and also that it is adjusted for the cost of living in the area. Next the school district raises funds but the amount they can raise maybe limited. My conclusion is that a school district may not be able to tax enough to fund the schools to the level they would like. Thus education could suffer.

[Rainger99]

State funding of education in Florida


https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/Fefpdist.pdf

[Mrs.Guy]

I am not sure how. I think the trend is that the school's have been limited in the amount of funds they can raise and compared to the county their ability to tax could be less.
First the state allocates x dollars to each county on a per student basis. I have heard this is the same amount and also that it is adjusted for the cost of living in the area. Next the school district raises funds but the amount they can raise maybe limited. My conclusion is that a school district may not be able to tax enough to fund the schools to the level they would like. Thus education could suffer.

:confused: Probably would have been better to stop hitting keys after your 1st. sentence. That one I agree with..... the rest I find very confusing with no facts and a lot of guesses. "I think", "could be less", "I have heard", "may be limited", "may not be able to tax enough", and "could suffer". :confused:

[spinner1001]

I just got my first tax bill and I am trying to figure it out. There is a line for Sumter County School Board. I have spent the morning trying to find out how schools are funded. I called the Tax Collector and was given a number for the Sumter County School Board. I have been able to speak to the operator but when she tried to transfer me to the person that should know the answer, I got disconnected three straight times. I finally asked for the person's extension so that I could call directly. However, even when I called directly, it gave three quick beeps and I was disconnected. This happened three more times. I didn't even get a recording and I couldn't leave a message.

Can anyone explain how schools are funded in Sumter County? As far as I can tell, there are 10 schools under the auspices of Sumter County School Board including The Villages Charter School. Does each school get so much money per pupil or do different schools get a different amount? For example, does the charter school get more money than Wildwood High School? Thanks.

It’s complicated. Start by studying the linked document in post 11 in this thread. If you want to know more about your local school district, then read over the school district’s website in the finance budget and accounting area.

If you expect a simple answer to a complicated question, there isn’t one.

[me4vt]

Google is no one’s friend!

[me4vt]

It’s called freedom to do so! It’s their money paying for someone to answer!

[Bogie Shooter]

It’s called freedom to do so! It’s their money paying for someone to answer!
? ….
What, who.

[Dlbonivich]

A lot of schools in Sumter County are Federally supported because the majority of students qualify for the federal free lunch programs. Not sure how this effects the county school budget.

[TomPerry]

I believe the real question in the original post is the last question…” For example, does the charter school get more money than Wildwood High School?” The answer is the School Board is responsible for the county school system budget. Each school in the county prepares its budget and submits it to the Board. The Board in turn consolidates all the budgets of all the schools in the county, adding the budget for the County Board. When the budget is finalized and approved, its submits it to the Tax Collector who in turn collects the taxes and turns the collections over to the Treasurer for disbursement. The Tax Collector is not responsible for the preparation of the budget.

[Rainger99]

If you expect a simple answer to a complicated question, there isn’t one.

I don’t think the question is complicated. It is just difficult to find an answer. I was really interested in finding out how much each of the schools got each year. As far as I can tell, we pay taxes for the following schools

1. Bushnell Elementary School
2. Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School
3. Webster Elementary School
4. Wildwood Elementary School
5. South Sumter Middle School
6. Wildwood Middle High School
7. South Sumter High School
8. Sumter P.R.E.P Academy
9. Sumter Career & Adult Education
10. The Villages Charter School

[Bill14564]

I don’t think the question is complicated. It is just difficult to find an answer. I was really interested in finding out how much each of the schools got each year. As far as I can tell, we pay taxes for the following schools

1. Bushnell Elementary School
2. Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School
3. Webster Elementary School
4. Wildwood Elementary School
5. South Sumter Middle School
6. Wildwood Middle High School
7. South Sumter High School
8. Sumter P.R.E.P Academy
9. Sumter Career & Adult Education
10. The Villages Charter School

It may be difficult if the County runs the schools as a combined district rather than individual schools. For example, the budget shows an amount spent on teacher salaries for the district. What it doesn't show is how many teachers are in each of the schools. It could be, as a previous poster suggested, that the individual schools send in requests and those are aggregated to the final budget. If that is the case then the information you desire exists but it is a working document of the district budget office and not generally published.

Since the Charter School is run separately from the district schools the appropriations for that are easier to find in the budget. It looks like approximately one third of the students are in the charter school and approximately one third of the instructional funds are sent to the charter school.

[Vermilion Villager]

Google is your friend.

Hmmmm............seems to be your answer for everything.:1rotfl:

[Bogie Shooter]

Hmmmm............seems to be your answer for everything.:1rotfl:

That's true.....just takes a little effort.

[Rodneysblue]

I don’t think the question is complicated. It is just difficult to find an answer. I was really interested in finding out how much each of the schools got each year. As far as I can tell, we pay taxes for the following schools

1. Bushnell Elementary School
2. Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School
3. Webster Elementary School
4. Wildwood Elementary School
5. South Sumter Middle School
6. Wildwood Middle High School
7. South Sumter High School
8. Sumter P.R.E.P Academy
9. Sumter Career & Adult Education
10. The Villages Charter School

The Villages Charter School is actually 3 schools, Elementary, Middle and High School. With 3319 students total in TVCS (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education (https://nces.ed.gov)). The County all together including all schools has 8675 students (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education (https://nces.ed.gov)) and as posted previously. So 38% of the students attend TVCS's.

[rogerk]

The Sumter County Schools are funded the same as most schools in the south. The counties not the cities manage and oversee the schools. The elected county school board is the responsible body. The charter school gets it's funding from the County the student resides in. They get no more and no less. The only benefit they have, which is not insignificant, is the physical plant is provided by the Villages, so they have no school bond to pay off. . Maintenance, staff, etc is the responsibility of the Charter School.