LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION

Friday, Nov. 24, 2006 | 7:03 a.m.

Some principals might look at the Thanksgiving holiday as an opportunity to escape campus for a few days.

Not Ron Lustig, principal of Burk High School, one of the district's alternative campuses.

Lustig and his wife, Connie, will escort 24 Burk students and family members to dinner at the Palms.

Reggie Turner, director of community relations at the Palms, extended the dinner invitation after finding some students had no plans or means to celebrate the holiday, Lustig said.

Turner and other Palms employees have been volunteering weekly at the school, serving as mentors to students. To encourage students to take part in the fall round of the high school proficiency exam, the Palms offered incentives such as movie passes, free buffets and behind-the-scenes tours of the resort's attractions. The participation rate on the test soared 22 percent.

"The Palms represents everything right with a community partner," Lustig said. "They do whatever it takes to help our students, and they do it in a timely, nurturing and effective manner."

Addressing a packed ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel last week, Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes had a tough act to follow - university system Chancellor Jim Rogers.

Rogers offered a brief welcome, then showed a recording of his state of the system address. (The same broadcast aired Friday night on KVBC Channel 3, which is owned by Rogers' Sunbelt Communications.)

Rulffes' remarks followed, but not before he noted the fancy graphics and high production values of Rogers' recording. "You're going to see the difference between an educator with a TV station and a public servant with a title," Rulffes said to chuckles from the crowd.

Clark County School District has plenty to give thanks for this fall, including once again scoring high in its handling of financial matters. The certified public accounting firm of Kafoury, Armstrong & Co. gave the district an "A plus" after examining its financial statements, internal controls over financial reporting and expenditures related to federal programs.

Also, the district announced Tuesday that Standard & Poor's had upgraded its bond rating from "AA-" to "AA." The improved rating reflects the continued economic growth of Clark County and the district's "proven track record of managing an aggressive building program and operational challenges associated with a growing budget in an environment of constrained general fund liquidity," Standard & Poor's said.

Matt LaCroix, the School District's director of real property management, has defected to the county.

LaCroix's new job will be principal management analyst for Clark County's northeast office, which includes his hometown of Overton.

In his 6 1/2 years with the district, including the past year as director, LaCroix has helped stockpile an impressive inventory of real estate throughout Clark County.

Most of the land will eventually be used for school campuses, but other parcels will be sold or swapped for better locations.

"I'll miss working for the kids," LaCroix told the Sun. "To be honest, we've had a lot of fun."