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Putnam County superintendent spotlights Cambridge diplomas, literacy fair and near-99% graduation rate
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Summary
On The Pulse podcast, Superintendent Rick Sernsey hosted assistant principal Belinda Taylor and four Crescent City seniors to discuss the Cambridge diploma program, a recent literacy fair with 85 student volunteers, ongoing school construction and a district graduation rate Sernsey said is 96.6%.
Rick Sernsey, superintendent of the Putnam County School District, hosted assistant principal Belinda Taylor and four seniors from Crescent City Junior Senior High School on The Pulse podcast to discuss the district’s Cambridge program, a recent literacy fair and accelerating graduation rates.
Taylor, who Sernsey introduced as the Putnam County assistant principal of the year, described the Cambridge diploma pathway at Crescent City. “Our Cambridge students, once they earn their Cambridge diploma, they will also have [service] hours,” Taylor said, and she added that Cambridge graduates are eligible for a Bright Futures scholarship to attend a state college in Florida. Students said the Cambridge exams are rigorous and mostly written rather than multiple choice; one student described four years of sustained work to prepare.
The programmatic context: Taylor and the students recounted the district’s second annual literacy fair, which combined elementary and high-school activities, drew more than 30 vendors and about 85 student volunteers, and included a guest-reading program organized with community partners. Taylor noted the event was moved indoors because of cold weather and that food trucks and community volunteers contributed to the turnout.
Students also outlined their postsecondary plans. “I plan to go to Daytona State after high school to study radiology and specialize in MRI,” said Carla. Preston Washington said he plans to attend the University of Florida for mechanical engineering; Noel Vasquez said he plans to start at Santa Fe to become a surgical nurse and then transfer to UF; Janelle Lara said she will finish an AA at St. John’s and may pursue radiology or orthodontics.
Sernsey used the conversation to highlight district-wide progress in graduation rates. He said Putnam County’s graduation rate is 96.6% this year and that a decade ago it was 54.9%, an improvement he described as nearly 42 percentage points; he framed Cambridge and other instructional supports as contributing factors. The superintendent also discussed ongoing capital work at Crescent City — a phased rebuild with a new CTE wing and a two-story junior-high wing already opened, and a new elementary school slated to open next year — and mentioned a “topping off” ceremony scheduled for the gym later that week.
The episode emphasized student engagement, college-credit opportunities tied to Cambridge exams, and community partnerships that supported the literacy fair. Sernsey closed by thanking Taylor and the students and noting the podcast will return for another episode.
Ending note: No formal actions or votes were taken on the podcast; remarks were informational and promotional for district programs. The district-provided program names and figures are presented as stated on the recording.
