Laura Maldonado does a little bit of everything at Denair Charter Academy. And then she does some more. 

Her formal title is administrative assistant to Denair Charter Academy Principal Jamie Pecot, but that doesn’t begin to adequately describe Maldonado’s duties. 

She’s a mentor and role model to others, both co-workers and students. She is an information resource to parents and students. She enrolls new students, helps distribute report cards, collaborates with the IT staff on projects, deftly navigates the financial system software, and creates and edits flyers about upcoming events.

Maldonado also is one of the organizers of the district’s Coyote Closet, where community donations allow students and families to privately shop for clothing and other necessities at no cost. During the holiday season, she can often be found shopping with students as part of a Lions Club sponsorship or taking an ornament from the giving tree to purchase gifts for a family in the district.

For all those reasons, Maldonado is Denair Unified’s nominee this year for the countywide Employees Making a Difference awards competition. She and the other nominees will be recognized Jan. 22 during a ceremony at the Stanislaus County Office of Education.

“Laura’s contributions are vast and varied, making her an indispensable member of the school team,” Pecot wrote in her nomination form. “Far beyond her role as an administrative assistant, she demonstrates compassion and commitment to both students and families, ensuring they are connected to valuable resources and support when needed. Her approach makes her an essential and trusted part of the school community.”

Maldonado has worked in the district since 2018. She has filled various office roles and became Pecot’s administrative assistant in 2023. She calls DCA her “home away from home” and relishes the variety of people with whom she routinely connects. DCA works with parents who home-school their children in kindergarten through eighth grade and also provides an independent study option for high school students.

“I love the fact that I can interact with kids of all ages,” Maldonado said. “In a day, I get to see the innocence of a kindergartner and their spark for exploring and then five minutes later interact with a senior who is planning their adult life. I get the best of both worlds. I also love the people I work with.”

Maldonado’s peers appreciate her selfless approach to everything she touches.

“Laura is caring and compassionate and her heart for others has been a haven when I have been sad and suffering,” said librarian Patte Hegg. “She shows she is aware of and concerned for the well-being of others. This attitude aids the overall atmosphere at school, which makes my job more joyful.”

Jasmin Baltazar, the new administrative aide to Superintendent Terry Metzger, said Maldonado “has been an incredible guide since I started working for the district.”

“Her patience and support have made a significant difference in my experience,” Baltazar said. “Not only is she always willing to help, but her advice is truly invaluable.”

Metzger praised Maldonado for her giving spirit and attitude, saying, “Laura is always ready to help others and she does it with a smile.”

Maldonado credits her parents for instilling within her the values others appreciate so much.

“My parents have always told me, ‘You should treat others as you would like to be treated,’ ” she said. “I follow this with everyone I encounter so I’m going to say that’s where my giving spirit comes from.”

For the 108 high school students enrolled in the independent study program at Denair Charter Academy, the unique structure brings with it some unavoidable tradeoffs. The flexibility to create a path toward a diploma by studying at home while holding down a job or attending to family responsibilities is a huge positive. But the lack of social interaction with fellow students that is part of traditional campus life can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Denair Unified School District, trustees and others in the audience learned how DCA’s staff is creating opportunities for students to come together to have fun, get to know each other better and participate in projects.

One ongoing example involves two of DCA’s clubs – PHAST (Protecting Health and Slamming Tobacco) and Love in Action. PHAST focuses on educating students about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use while promoting good health; Love in Action looks for ways for students to engage in community service projects.

Though both clubs have existed separately for years, this is the first time they’ve joined forces.

“The clubs give students an opportunity to get to know each other, to socialize with peers they may have never met otherwise, to be role models, to develop leadership skills and to be creative,” explained Sally Baker, DCA’s guidance counselor.

Together, the two clubs have seven members who meet weekly. They alternate between PHAST and Love in Action efforts.

“With our smaller student body, it made sense to combine the clubs so we have a greater number of students participating in each club,” Baker said. “It is nice to have two club advisors to work with students on the activities.”

Baker works with the Love in Action Club while paraeducator Amber Carmo advises the PHAST students.

“Sally and Amber play crucial leadership roles,” said DCA Principal Jamie Pecot. “They are actively linking students with service projects and cultivating a positive and inclusive campus environment. Their dedicated work is making a significant impact on the DCA campus, enriching the student experience and promoting a sense of community.”

The club combination has been a good fit for the students. Not only have they met and made new friends, but they also have worked jointly to feed the homeless, pick up cigarette butts and other litter around town, and collect cans and bottles from DCA and take them to the recycling center in Turlock.

One of their fun projects is the Big Buddies/Little Buddies program, where DCA high school students pair up with youngsters next door at Denair Elementary Charter Academy to work on arts and crafts, read together and enjoy other activities. 

“It has been the most popular activity,” said Baker, talking about the Big Buddy program.

Five of the seven students who have been active in the clubs attended Thursday night’s meeting. They said they enjoy working together and complimented Baker and Carmo for their support.

“We’ve built good friendships with each other,” said student Margarita Guzman. “Overall, it’s been fun.”

Pecot said she has been inspired by the example set for their peers by the members of the PHAST and Love in Action clubs.

“I am proud to see the independent study students connecting with each other and creating a positive and friendly environment on the DCA campus,” she said.

In other action Thursday, trustees:

• Listened to the annual report from staff and students about the district’s expansive mental health programs, which include ROX (Ruling our eXperiences) and She Became to empower girls; an entire day dedicated to mental health class discussions and fun activities last fall; an active NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Club; and a Parent’s University that includes bilingual groups for fathers as well as couples. Trustee Crystal Sousa complimented the staff involved in all the mental health services, calling their efforts “inspiring.”
• Heard from three principals about grading trends in the district, which is in its third year of implementing fair and accurate grading practices. The percentage of students receiving one or more Fs has fallen at Denair High, Denair Middle School and Denair Charter Academy as compared with the baseline year of 2020-21, which was interrupted by the pandemic. In the fall of 2024, 5% of DHS and DCA students received Fs while just 1% did at DMS.
• Held a public hearing regarding the sunshine contract proposals presented by the district and the Denair Unified Teachers Association. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30, 2025.
• Approved a new classified employee salary schedule that reflects an increase in California’s minimum wage to $16.50 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
• Welcomed Trustees Andrea Bennett and Jason De Muro to the board. They were elected in November and sworn in in December, but Thursday night was their first regular board meeting.
• OK’d a trip for up to eighth Denair High students and one advisor to the California
  Association of Student Leaders conference April 12-14 in Santa Clara.
• Extended an agreement with Turlock Little League through Dec. 31, 2025, allowing the league access to district fields to play its games.  

Andrea Bennett and Jason De Muro – the top vote getters in last month’s election – were sworn in Thursday night as the newest members of the Denair Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Bennett earned the most votes in the Nov. 5 election in a five-way race for three seats. She received 2,089 votes, or 29.9%. De Muro was second with 1,423 votes, or 20.4%, and incumbent Ray Prock, Jr. was third with 1,404 votes, or 20.1%.

Incumbents Kathi Dunham-Filson and Carmen Wilson finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Dunham-Filson received 1,197 votes, or 17.2%, while Wilson earned 868 votes, or 12.4%.

Bennett works as a dental hygienist and is the mother of three sons. The two oldest are in the Dual Language Immersion program at Denair Elementary Charter Academy and the youngest will start school next year.

She began attending board meetings during the pandemic and often expressed concerns regarding school closures and the impact of distance learning on students. 

“At first, it was very frustrating as our voices seemed to fall on deaf ears,” Bennett said. “Over time, I realized there is much more to these decisions than one vote at one meeting. I continued attending the meetings to hear the decisions being made and learn more about how a school district works.”

She said her goals are “to learn and listen with an open heart and mind; to foster communication across all members of the district; to aid in continuing to develop a district culture where employees feel valued, respected and heard; and to encourage parent and community involvement in board discussions and meetings.”

De Muro is a software engineer whose wife is a teacher at DECA. Their three sons all attend DECA. He has been a regular attendee at board meetings and said he was inspired to run after the district decided to change minimum days from Fridays to Wednesdays this year – a move opposed by some teachers and families.

“I tend to be an outspoken person and my wife asked me if I would go to the meeting and say something,” he said. “It became very clear very quickly that the time to ask questions was several months prior to that meeting and that didn’t sit well with me. It was the first time I had heard about the change and I couldn’t help but wonder what if a family couldn’t make that pivot to accommodate for childcare or work.”

De Muro said one of his priorities is supporting ways to improve students’ academic performance while being a voice for the community. 

“My hope is that I can ask questions that help the district increase its proactive strategies,” he said. “As a parent to kids in the district, and the spouse of a teacher in the district, I hope I can provide greater insights to the board that they might not get otherwise, and instead of being in the gallery knowing any question I have may come too late to make a difference, I can be in the room and ask it when it might make a difference.”

Prock was re-elected to his third term on the board. He works as a business development and relationship manager for a bioenergy company that converts organic waste into renewable energy. 

The other trustees are Crystal Sousa and Billy Myers. They will be up for re-election in 2026.

In other action Thursday, trustees elected Prock to be the board president for 2025 and Myers to serve as clerk. Superintendent Terry Metzger remains the board secretary.

Denair students across all grade levels made gains on one of the most-watched measures of academic performance, Superintendent Terry Metzger told Denair Unified School District trustees Thursday night.

Metzger reported on the district’s progress on what is known as the CA School Dashboard, which was created about a decade ago. It tracks not only academic indicators, but also things like chronic absenteeism and suspension rates, which impact classroom performance.

“There are different calculations for each indicator on the dashboard, which can make it challenging to interpret the barometer shown for each area,” Metzger explained. “However, once someone understands how it works, there is a lot of great information to help understand how well our schools are performing.”

Saying “we have a lot to celebrate,” then Metzger walked trustees through many of the main indicators.

“The most exciting news for us is that all schools in the district made progress. DECA made progress in every indicator,” she said. “Key trends include improvements in chronic absenteeism, graduation rates, and English learner performance. While our English and math scores are still low, we are performing within the range of our neighboring districts (in some cases outperforming).”

Metzger said the dashboard statistics afford a “higher-level view” of student performance, as opposed to iReady test scores and end-of-unit assessments that provide more real-time feedback to teachers. Still, the dashboard influences classroom strategies.

“Last year, we really focused on English learner strategies as a district and that paid off in terms of improvement on the dashboard,” Metzger said. “This year we added a math focus based on last year’s data and expect that we will see growth in next year’s dashboard.”

The superintendent told trustees that she is proud of the progress the district has made.

“We have a sense of urgency as a district to ensure that our students are prepared for the next grade level and ultimately for whatever comes after graduation,” Metzger said. “It’s hard work and our staff have put their hearts and souls into learning how to meet students’ needs. Our 2024 dashboard results are a direct impact of that work.”

In other action Thursday, trustees:

• Approved an early retirement incentive of $2,000 for any employee who submits a notice of their intent to retire to the district office by 4 p.m. on Jan. 31. The retirement cannot happen before May 24, 2025.
• Unanimously supported a plan for the district to apply for an Environmental Protection Agency grant that could cover the entire cost of a new electric bus, which cost between $400,000 and $500,000.
• Listened as Metzger and Daisy Swearingen, the district’s chief business official, reported that $11.9 million worth of Denair’s school bonds from the recently approved Measure Z were sold this week. For now, the money will be put in the bank; the district expects to make $32,000 a month in interest. In coming years, another $22.3 million in bonds will be sold. The bond funds will pay for facilities updates across the district, including a relocated and rebuilt kitchen at DECA and the replacement of portable classrooms with permanent buildings at the high school.
• Heard a report about two of the career technical education (CTE) pathways at Denair High, which provide insight into and practical knowledge about potential areas of employment after graduation. Principal Breanne Aguiar, teacher Melissa Treadwell and paraeducator and ag advisor Christian Obando teamed up on the presentation, which included photos and videos of students. Treadwell talked about the emergency medical response that was added this year. She teaches two courses. One of the goals is for all students to learn CPR, first aid skills and BLS certificates. Obando talked about the three ag pathways — agriscience, ag floral and ag mechanics – all of which include three classes students must pass in order to complete the pathway. There are 185 students enrolled in one or more ag classes, Obando said, plus another 40 in ag biology. Students who receive a B grade or better in pathway classes also can receive college credits at Modesto Junior College.