Dr. Rick Surrency was elected Superintendent of the Putnam County School District in 2016 and re-elected in both 2020 and 2024. Prior to his election, he devoted 38 years to education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal.

Under Dr. Surrency’s leadership, PCSD experienced remarkable growth—most notably in its graduation rate, which increased from 54.9% in 2015 to 92.5% in 2021, marking the largest gain of any district in the State of Florida during that time.

In 2017, nine of the district’s 17 traditional public schools had received a school grade of D or F. Through focused leadership, improved instruction, and community engagement, PCSD successfully turned around all underperforming schools and currently has no schools in state turnaround status.

In 2021, the School Board approved a bold five-year Strategic Plan centered on “shaping the future” by preparing all students for college, career, and life. A key initiative within this plan is the district’s Revitalization Plan, which aims to transform outdated campuses into safe, modern learning environments tailored to today’s educational needs.

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Surrency has remained a passionate advocate for expanding student opportunities—introducing new career and technical education programs, increasing access to acceleration courses, and promoting equitable pathways to success.

In recognition of his visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to students, Dr. Surrency was named the 2023 Florida Superintendent of the Year at the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) and Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) 77th Annual Joint Conference in Tampa, Florida.