The Denair Unified School District board of trustees received an update Thursday on current and upcoming districtwide infrastructure improvements, which include both Measure Z and non-Measure Z projects.

Measure Z is the $34.3 million bond initiative passed by voters in 2024 to support upgrades within the district, especially at the Denair Elementary Charter Academy and Denair High School campuses.

Daisy Swearingen, the district’s Chief Business Officer, updated board members Ray Prock Jr., Billy Meyers, Andrea Bennett, Jason De Muro, and Kathi Dunham-Filson on projects that are currently under way or soon to be started.

“We’ve been receiving routine progress reports,” said Swearingen. “Every single phase of the project, every detail, is being monitored to be sure that we have the best possible outcome. It’s going really well.”

At DHS, projects include the gymnasium roof and the baseball field fencing projects. At DECA, playground equipment is set to be replaced, a new kitchen and gym project is in the bidding stage, and the transitional-kindergarten and kindergarten inner-campus has been reconfigured to add an additional restroom. Also, upgrades to alarm and security systems have been completed and technology cabling is ongoing.

Phase One of the roofing project was wrapped up before the recent rainstorms hit the region.

“And for the first time in a long time we can say that there were no leaks,” Swearingen boasted.

Additional improvements will be rolled out in four phases over the next two school years, with some projects’ start dates dependent upon the completion of other projects.

Earlier in Thursday’s meeting, Director of Student Support Services Amanda Silva delivered a presentation on chronic absenteeism and discipline throughout the district. The California Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of instructional days during a school year.

DECA saw its chronic absenteeism rate drop from 27.9 percent in 2023 to 20.1 percent in 2024, while Denair Middle School and Denair High School dipped from 22.1 to 18.9 percent – an improvement of 3.2 percent. Meanwhile, disciplinary suspensions at DMS and DHS dropped from 12.4 percent in 2023 to a four-year low 6.8 percent in 2024. Data for 2025 is expected to be available for next month’s board meeting.

Other items included:

• The board of trustees unanimously approved the consent calendar, which paved the way for the Class of 2026 Grad Night trip to Disneyland, via Storer Coachways, in May.

• Melissa Oei, DMS campus supervisor, was recognized as the district’s Classified Employee of the Month for November: “She goes above and beyond to maintain the safety of our school campus,” said DMS Principal Gabriela Sarmiento. “When urgent concerns arise, she addresses them expeditiously and with good judgment, ensuring situations are handled quickly and appropriately.”

• Genesis Delgado, a transitional kindergarten teacher at DECA, was named the Certificated Employee of the Month for November: “I am so grateful that she’s a mentor to my daughter, who’s in the residency program,” said DECA Principal Crystal Sousa. “And, hopefully, next year she’ll be a teacher to my grandson. That’s how much respect and confidence I have in Ms. Delgado.”

• Clayton McDonald, the October Certificated Employee of the Month, was recognized Thursday as he could not attend last month’s rescheduled meeting.

The Sac-Joaquin Section playoff brackets have been announced, and Denair High School will see a familiar face in the opening round of the Division 7 playoffs.

The fifth-seeded Coyotes will take on No. 4 Mariposa, a rematch of their Oct. 10 encounter when the Grizzlies came away with a 24-23 overtime victory at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.

Denair will make another 80-minute trip to Mariposa on Nov. 14. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

“We’re OK with our seeding and our first-round opponent,” said DHS head coach Anthony Armas. “We were ranked fifth by MaxPreps after Friday and we figured we’d stay there. We’re happy we get a second chance with Mariposa. Things didn’t go the way we would’ve liked in the first go ’round.”

The SJS adopted a new postseason format for football, taking MaxPreps’ top eight ranked teams in each division and placing them into a three-round postseason tournament. Meanwhile, the 9-16 teams in those rankings will be paired for a bowl game that will be their final action of the season, win or lose.

All bowl games will be played this Friday night, with the regular games kicking off the following week. While some playoff teams would rather maintain their momentum and roll straight into the playoffs instead of having a week off, Armas welcomes the rest.

“We’re OK with it,” said Armas. “At this point in the season, we’ll take any time we can get to get healthy and prepare.”

The Coyotes closed the regular season with a 59-34 win over a stubborn Waterford squad, improving their record to 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the Southern League to secure a share of the conference title with Mariposa and Stone Ridge Christian (Merced).

Bryson Salazar rushed for 292 yards on 14 carries – a staggering 21 yards per attempt – and five touchdowns, while teammate Degan Butler (who owns the school’s single-game rushing record with 315 yards) had 105 yards and three TDs on 20 carries.

Following a tough overtime loss in Mariposa on Oct. 10, Denair High School’s varsity football team had a bye week to rest up and get ready for the home stretch of the Southern League campaign.

The Coyotes made the most of the break, coming back strong with a 41-0 victory over Delhi on Friday and setting the stage for the final week of the regular season.

“We’re refreshed and refocused,” said head coach Anthony Aarmas. “We’re still dealing with a couple of injuries, but the bye came at a good time for us.”

With the victory, the Coyotes improve to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league play – tied with Mariposa (8-1, 4-1) for second place in the SL, a half-game behind Stone Ridge Christian (8-1, 5-1).

Denair will host Waterford (5-4, 2-3) in Friday’s finale – kickoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. at Jack Lytton Stadium – and Mariposa will entertain a tough Le Grand squad (6-3, 3-2). Stone Ridge Christian is finished with its SL schedule and will face travel to face San Rafael.

Wins by the Coyotes and Grizzlies would give them a share of the conference title.

Denair is also trying to maintain or improve upon its No. 5 spot in MaxPreps’ Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 rankings. Should the Coyotes nail down the fifth playoff seed, they would likely face No. 4 Summerville in the opening round on Nov. 14. The Bears defeated Denair 47-17 earlier this season and ended the Coyotes’ playoff hopes in 2024.

Against Delhi, Denair’s vaunted running game punished the Hawks, with Degan Butler amassing 146 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Bryson Salazar totaling 111 yards and two scores on eight attempts. Noah Chavez contributing 81 yards and a TD on seven carries.

The Denair Unified School District’s board of trustees voted unanimously to enter negotiations with Stockton-based Valley Construction to handle construction-management duties for the district’s Measure Z improvement projects.

Local voters overwhelmingly approved the $34.3 million bond measure last November. Planned improvements include:

• Construction of two new classroom wings at the elementary school and a new two-story classroom building at the high school

• Relocation of the Denair Elementary Charter Academy (DECA) kitchen to the gymnasium

• Creation of drop-off/pick-up and bus zones on Madera Avenue

• Conversion of the old DECA cafeteria into an administration building and library

• Making DECA a single-point entry campus

A request for qualifications and proposals was posted in September and due by Oct. 6. Three proposals were received by the district.

Two firms – Cumming Group and Valley Construction – were selected to interview with the district’s five-member Project Management and Facility Advisory Committee, comprised of Superintendent Terry Metzger Ed.D., Chief Business Official Daisy Swearingen, Facilities, Construction, Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation Director Mark Hodges, and board members Billy Myers and Jason De Muro.

“We all feel confident about recommending Valley Construction as the district’s construction management partner for the Measure Z building campaign,” said Metzger. “There was unanimous agreement that the team at Valley Construction was the best match for the district’s needs.”

In other business, Learning Director and ELD Coordinator Anajanzy Montoya provided the board with an update on the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC) system, which is utilized to determine language proficiency among multilingual students.

Director of Student Support Services Amanda Silva followed with a presentation on the district’s special education programs, from health and nursing to special education for students ranging from 3 to 22 years old. She explained to trustees how the state monitors special education compliance and focused on one element: Least Restrictive Environment. At DECA, 70% of students in special education spend at least 80% of their day in the general education setting. At DHS and DMS, where the district has more extensive support needs programs, 48% of students in special education spend at least 80% of their day in the general education setting. The state’s goal for Denair is 64%. 

Finally, Dr. Metzger provided the board with an overview of iReady exam data from the fall assessment window, in preparation for next week’s study session. As a district, foundational literacy skills are a strength in reading, while vocabulary and comprehension domains are areas for improvement. In math, the district continues to see that students are struggling in all four domains, with 58% of students scoring two or more grade levels below expectations.

Items on the agenda’s consent calendar – which included approval of the district’s September payroll ($1,058,684.90), minutes of the Sept. 11 board meeting, and proposed June 2025 policy updates and revisions – were passed unanimously.

During staff reports to the board, Montoya stepped in for DHS Principal Breanne Aguiar and updated members on recent homecoming festivities, which culminated with the homecoming dance on Oct. 4.

“There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work for homecoming,” said Montoya, who praised DHS instructor Robyn Hilton for her role in helping to coordinate events. “Students were heavily involved in preparations for the parade and connecting with community members to garner support.”

The meeting got underway with recognition of the DUSD employees of the month.

Norma Mendoza, a food service employee at DECA, was named the Classified Employee of the Month, while Clayton McDonald, a physical education teacher and activities director at Denair Middle School, was named the district’s Certificated Employee of the Month.

“Norma’s knowledge in all aspects related to the DECA kitchen is impeccable,” said Kim Fuentez, DUSD’s food service manager. 

 “When we talk about reducing barriers for our students, we’re talking about Mr. McDonald,” said DMS Principal Gabriela Sarmiento. “He doesn’t just teach; he actively works to create a safe and welcoming environment where every student can thrive and truly feel like Denair Middle School is their home.”

Jenna Lopez, a T-K paraeducator who was named Classified Employee of the Month for September, was unable to attend last month’s meeting and was also recognized during the October meeting.

The board took a brief recess about 15 minutes into the meeting to sing happy birthday to Superintendent Terry Metzger, who will officially celebrate her birthday Oct. 18.

In what head coach Anthony Armas called Denair High’s sloppiest game of the season, the Coyotes made a critical miscue on the game’s final play that allowed Mariposa to escape with a 24-23 overtime victory in Friday night’s Southern League football showdown at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.

With the game knotted 17-17 at the end of regulation, thanks to a 35-yard field goal from DHS kicker Harlan Brown, Mariposa went up 24-17 in the overtime session. Denair countered with Bryson Salazar’s 9-yard touchdown run to make it 24-23, and Coyotes head coach Anthony Armas wasted no time in deciding to go for a two-point conversion – and the victory.

“We were on the road and had a chance to win,” said Armas. “If we kick and tie it up, we get the ball to start the second overtime, and then they could’ve been in a position to decide to go for a tie or the win. I figured, ‘Let’s try to win this thing right here and now.’”

Armas called for an option play around the left end, but the pitch fell to the ground and was recovered by Denair short of the goal line … setting off the Grizzlies’ celebration.

“Our defense played really well,” said Armas. “We only allowed three points in the second half. But we turned the ball over four times, and you just can’t do that and expect to win.”

Senior Degan Butler carried the ball 27 times for 203 yards and scored the third-quarter touchdown that cut Mariposa’s 17-6 advantage to just three points, 17-14. Salazar, who scored a pair of touchdowns, was limited to 48 yards on 14 attempts, while Connor Hart had 28 yards on four carries. 

Hart was injured toward the end of the first quarter and wasn’t able to continue playing on both sides of the ball. He played exclusively on defense for the final three quarters.

“It was a factor, but it’s not an excuse,” Armas said of Hart’s injury. “Mariposa was selling out against the run and was very aggressive. We just played really sloppy, with lots of penalties, and couldn’t get anything going.”

The Coyotes have a bye this Friday night, one that Armas said comes at just the right time.

“We’re starting to get a little dinged up, so this will give us a week to get healthy and get some things cleaned up,” said Armas. “This game exposed some things that we’ve been getting away with against other teams. We’ve got to clean them up and then get ready for Delhi.”

Denair falls to 6-2 for the season and 3-1 in the Southern League, while Mariposa remains perfect at 7-0 and 3-0. The Coyotes will need help to grab a piece of the league crown, and the schedule may provide that help.

Denair has games remaining against Delhi (1-6, 0-3) and Waterford (4-3, 1-2), while Mariposa, which had its bye six weeks ago, still faces tough games against Stone Ridge Christian (6-1, 3-1), Waterford, and Le Grand (4-3, 2-2).

If the Coyotes can run the table and have the Grizzlies drop one of their final three, the teams would share the Southern League title (though Mariposa would gain the higher playoff seed based on the teams’ head-to-head result).