Summary:
In zip code 33597, there is one middle school, South Sumter Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Webster, Florida, as part of the Sumter County district.
South Sumter Middle School is a standout for its exceptional performance in advanced math courses, achieving a perfect 100% proficiency rate in Geometry and a 94% proficiency rate in Algebra 1, far exceeding district and state averages. The school also excels in Civics (86% proficiency) and 8th-grade Science (69% proficiency), outperforming the state. However, its standard grade-level math scores are inconsistent, with 7th-grade math dropping sharply to 43% in one year before rebounding. English Language Arts performance is generally stable, with 8th graders scoring 70% proficiency, above the state average of 60%. The school has a moderate socioeconomic need, with 48.09% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and a student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1.
A key concern is the high chronic absenteeism rate of 35.7%, which is above both the district (26.9%) and state (31.4%) averages, especially given the relatively high per-student spending of $12,832. This disconnect suggests that while resources are available, student attendance is a major barrier to academic success. The school's state ranking has fluctuated, dropping to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026 from a high of the 71st percentile the previous year. While South Sumter Middle School often outperforms the state, it sometimes lags behind its own district in standard math and ELA for 6th and 7th graders, indicating room for internal improvement.
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