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Putnam County schools report rising graduation rates and expand workforce academies
Summary
The Putnam County School District reported increases in graduation rates (cited at 92.5% for 2021), removal of all schools from turnaround status and new career‑focused academies including construction, automotive and an aviation program.
An unnamed superintendent for the Putnam County School District reported improvements in student outcomes and described new workforce academies intended to align education with local employer needs.
The superintendent said the district’s graduation rate reached 92.5% in 2021 and that the district’s increase represented, in the superintendent’s words, “the largest increase in the entire state of Florida.” She said that at an earlier point 11 of 18 schools were in failing or turnaround status; district staff now report no schools in turnaround.
The superintendent described K–12 STEM programs, construction academies at the high schools, an aviation academy in which students fly aircraft as part of training, and partnerships with local employers and workforce partners (CareerSource, JAX USA) to align curriculum with local demand. The superintendent credited targeted systems and seed funding secured through legislative appropriations since 2016 for some of the new programming and introduced Laura France as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, calling her “the brains behind the operation.”
District leaders framed these gains as part of a long‑term effort to prepare students for local jobs in construction, automotive and hospitality sectors that several chamber speakers also cited during the same event. The remarks were status updates; no board votes or formal district policy changes were recorded during the session.
