Rulffes frustrated too, but expresses it in a different way

By Emily Richmond

Monday, June 2, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The full, fiery fury of University Chancellor Jim Rogers is something to behold. When he’s mad — and he’s definitely mad about the latest round of cuts to education funding — he doesn’t hesitate to make his feelings known.

One of the benefits of being a multimillionaire is never having to worry about getting fired from your government gig.

So, does Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes ever envy Rogers’ freedom to spout off, especially given the past five months of painful slicing and dicing of the district’s budget?

“We express ourselves differently but we share the same frustrations,” Rulffes said. “I commend his candor.”

Rulffes, however, contends that he has never felt constrained from speaking his mind.

“Frankly, neither of us is worrying about building a career ladder,” said Rulffes, who earns about $300,000 annually and has consistently received excellent job evaluations since becoming the district’s chief executive in 2005. “We’re in it for the good of the community, and for the students.”

For the past few years, Rogers and Rulffes have worked together to try to address their overlapping challenges.

When a school district lacks sufficient funding to properly prepare students for college, Rogers said, the result is a higher education system that has to spend more money on remediation. And Rulffes said the School District’s mission isn’t just to ensure that students graduate but that they become the productive members of society the community so badly needs. Without a strong university and community college system, the superintendent added, that goal is only more difficult.

“It’s painfully exasperating to see not only the progress torn down but also the system regressing,” Rulffes said. “We will continue to fight for remedies to handle the crisis that are not at the expense of our students.”

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Immunizations and vaccinations aren’t just for infants and toddlers. A new mandate from the Nevada State Board of Health is directed at the parents of middle-schoolers.

Beginning this fall, all children entering seventh grade must be vaccinated against whooping cough before the start of the academic year. The requirement applies to all 17 Nevada school districts.

The mandate is part of a nationwide mission to curtail the recent resurgence of whooping cough, a highly contagious disease. Children are supposed to receive a routine pertussis vaccination, but it begins to wear off after as little as five years, leaving most preteens and teenagers unprotected. According to a 2006 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 11 percent of children ages 13 to 17 have been vaccinated against whooping cough.

There has been a “definite increase” in reported cases of whooping cough statewide, including outbreaks in West Wendover and Ely this year, said Cari Rovig, statewide executive director of the Nevada Immunization Coalitions. Cases have been sporadic in Clark County.

The cost of the vaccine is covered by state and federal grants, although some health providers may charge an administrative fee. The Southern Nevada Health District will offer back-to-school immunization clinics this summer, but Rovig is urging families to make appointments now with their health care providers.

“That way, they can talk to their provider about the other vaccines and take care of any health issues,” Rovig said.

For information about the new vaccination requirements, go to www.immunizenevada.org.

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The Henderson International School, formerly known as Warren Walker, is offering 20 full-tuition scholarships for high school students entering grades 9-11 this fall.

The private high school’s annual tuition tops $17,000. The total enrollment is about 200, with a student-teacher ratio of 10-to-1.

Applicants should have strong academic records as well as a demonstrated interest in fine arts or athletics. To apply, students must submit an official transcript, two letters of recommendation and a written description of their extracurricular activities.

The application deadline is Aug. 1. For information, contact admissions director Amy Hall at 818-2122 or at [email protected].