The Villages Charter Schools

Sumter District Schools granted permission to create the charter school in September 1999. Groundbreaking began in October of that year. The elementary school opened in 2000. The dedication of the middle school was on August 30, 2001. In November of that year the early childhood program began. The Primary Center opened in August 2002. The original elementary building took grades 3 through 5, while the new building took Kindergarten through Grade 2. The groundbreaking ceremony for the high school took place in October 2002. The high school opened in August 2003. == School shooting plot ==

On January 26, 2017, two male students at The Villages Middle School, a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old, were escorted from lunch by the police then arrested at their homes and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Law enforcement and school officials had followed up on rumors and discovered that some students had been warned not to come to school on Friday. In interviewing the 13-year-old suspect, officials learned of the 14-year-old's involvement. The 14-year-old student acknowledged his involvement in conversations with the 13-year-old student while referencing the Columbine High School shooting. The student informed officials that the two students had planned an attack which included what they would use as a signal to begin shooting. Law enforcement officials found firearms at both the students' homes. == School uniforms ==

Students from Kindergarten through 12th grade are required to wear school uniforms. == Enrollment ==

Enrollment Guidelines: There are three groups of families whose children are eligible for enrollment in The Villages Charter School: • Children who have a parent who is a direct employee of The Villages. • Children who have a parent who is an employee of a direct (first-tier) subcontractor of The Villages. The employee must receive a Form W-2 from the sub-contractor, not a Form 1099. Lower-tier subcontractors (i.e., those who do not have a direct contract with The Villages) or subcontractors hired and paid by residents or businesses of The Villages do not qualify. • Children who have a parent who is an employee of a business operating within The Villages. Although there are three designated "family units" within The Villages, students living in those areas do not automatically qualify for enrollment; they must meet one of the three criteria listed above. The School verifies eligibility monthly. == References ==