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Palatka Junior-Senior High School James “J.T.” Stout, left, and Junior-Senior High School Principal Bryan Helms, right are leaving their respective schools for leadership positions in the county government.
By Sarah Cavacini and Brandon D. Oliver
Palatka Daily News
scavacini@palatkadailynews.com
bdoliver@palatkadailynews.com
With less than a month left in the academic year, two high school principals are leaving the Putnam County School District to pursue careers within the county government.
James “J.T.” Stout, the principal of Palatka Junior-Senior High School, is resigning, with his last day being May 12, according to Tonya Whitehurst, the school district’s Human Resources Department director. She also confirmed Interlachen Junior-Senior High School Principal Bryan Helms’ resignation will take effect May 15.
In a statement issued Friday morning, Superintendent Rick Surrency expressed his gratitude to Helms, who is Surrency’s son-in-law, and Stout, wishing them well as they pursue other endeavors.
“We are excited for Mr. Helms and Mr. Stout to continue serving Putnam County in their new roles, and we look forward to the continued positive impact they will each have on our great community,” Surrency said in the statement.
Helms has accepted the role of executive director of Planning and Development Services, and Stout accepted the executive director of Public Works position, Sara Caron, the director of the county’s Human Resources Department, said in an email.
Both men will have annual salaries of $100,616, Caron said.
The Palatka Daily News’ records request to the school district for Helms’ and Stout’s annual salaries had not been answered by the time of this writing.
Helms will be reporting to Deputy County Administrator Julianne Young, whose annual salary is $125,400.07, and Stout’s direct supervisor will be Keith “JR” Grimes – the county’s deputy administrator of emergency operations – who makes $125,000.07 annual, Caron said.
Although the two are scheduled to leave the district before the school year ends, Surrency said, both principals would be part of their respective schools’ graduation and awards ceremonies.
On Friday afternoon, Helms said he, Surrency and Holmes agreed he should be at the end-of-year ceremonies for his students. He said he may be leaving the school, but there is no bad blood between him and the district.
“(Surrency and Holmes) definitely wanted me to be there,” Helms said. “The kids wanted me to be there. We’re not leaving on bad terms.”
Helms said he took the county job, which he plans to start May 16, to work fewer hours during the week, which would allow him to spend more time with his family. He is also looking for a different set of professional challenges, noting people switch career paths all the time.
However, he said, he will miss his students, faculty and staff despite his excitement about working for the county.
“You feel a little sad because you’re leaving your students and teachers,” Helms said. “They know I love and care for them.”
Helms said the end of the 2022-2023 school year would have brought to a close his seventh year as Interlachen’s principal and his 17th year with the school district.
He will be leading a department at the center of a lawsuit against the county. Former Chief Building Official John Cioffi sued the county in April, claiming he was fired in violation of the state’s Whistleblower Act law after he made objections to a business making improvements without an inspection or permits. He also refused to issue permits without first conducting inspections, which led to his unfair termination, the lawsuit alleges.
Holmes, Grimes and County Administrator Terry Suggs are three of six county leaders named in the lawsuit as playing a role in Cioffi’s “disparate treatment.”
Helms is focusing on the positives regarding his new job. He said he would oversee a department that works with people who want to build Putnam County into something grand.
“It’s very similar to what I have been doing,” he said. “You know, I’ve been building graduates.”
He said he will be spending next week working with incoming Interlachen Junior-Senior High Principal Amber Symonds, who is leaving her assistant principal position at Moseley Elementary School in Palatka to take on her new role.
Helms said he wants to “show her the ropes” so he can leave the school he loves in the best position to succeed.
“My heart is still with that school,” he said. “My kids still go to that school.”
In March, the school district announced administrative changes for the 2023-2024 school year – changes that were intended to take effect July 1. Cathy Oyster had been tapped to replace Stout, who was being promoted to the role of director of secondary education.
Oyster had been shadowing Stout for a month to get a better handle on the job, Surrency said, so she is ready to lead Palatka High, even if she’s beginning a few months earlier than expected.
Symonds interviewed for the Interlachen principal position Thursday but is prepared to step in at the West Putnam school, Surrency said. Working with Helms next week would supplement her leadership experience at Moseley, the superintendent said.
“Ms. Symonds is very prepared,” he said. “Her goal is to be the leader of a school. She understands the timeline has been moved up. She’s ready to take the bull by the horns.”
By the time of this writing, the school district had not responded to the Daily News’ records request that asked for Stout’s annual salary at his district-level position. Nor had the district responded to say how much Oyster and Symonds will make as principals of the Palatka and Interlachen high schools.
However, Surrency said the annual salary range for a Putnam principal is $84,500 to $96,250 and a principal’s specific salary would depend on the size of the school they would be leading and how much experience the person has.
Stout did not respond to a request for comment Friday.