THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS of May and June, Inside Education will spotlight graduating seniors. For instance, we have already profiled top student scholars from Valley High School and Coronado High School, along with Coronado Principal Lee Koelliker.

As the 2005–2006 school year draws to a close, officially on June 8th, thousands of seniors throughout the Clark County School District are graduating. Graduation is one of those life-changing transitions that students and families note with celebration and fanfare, because of the magnitude of what it represents in a young person's educational growth and development.

There are numerous noteworthy achievements of students in the graduating class of 2006. For instance, Coronado High School leads the district this year in National Merit Scholars, with four students attaining scholar status. The private Meadows School had three Merit Scholars. Valley High School, with its stellar International Baccalaureate Program, also has one National Merit Scholar. Many other Clark County public schools also had more than one National Merit Semi-Finalists. Merit Scholars earn a $2,500 award towards college, plus the distinction of being in an elite group of high scholastic students nationally.

High schools are currently putting together detailed scholarship information that will include individual student awards. The overall tally for student scholarships will exceed several million dollars. Typically, Clark County School District graduates are accepted for attendance at colleges and universities all over the country, including prestigious institutions of higher learning such as Yale, Harvard and Princeton.

Some students choose to stay close to home and attend UNLV, Nevada State College or the Community College of Southern Nevada. Still others may opt for a shorter-term postsecondary educational experience, while others may decide to seek immediate employment and enter the local work force.

The district encourages graduates to pursue college or university study, but with so many options available to them, some students immediately enter the workforce. Due to specialized training students receive in Career and Technical Education programs in the district, some students have jobs waiting for them in the private sector after graduation. When the Excalibur Hotel first opened, for instance, every graduate from Vo-Tech High School's Culinary Program was offered a job and many accepted.

On behalf of the Clark County School District and the entire southern Nevada community, we extend heartfelt congratulations to all those students who are graduating from high school this year. Whatever your future plans, we wish you well as you embark on the next phase of your lives.

Graduations exercises for larger Valley-area high schools are held at either the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV or the Orleans Arena. Other sites and venues are used for smaller school graduations. If you are interested in attending graduation, the school district publishes a 2006 Commencement Schedule which is available from any high school or may be downloaded on the school district website: www.ccsd.net.