Officially, class at Denair Elementary Charter Academy begins at 8:30 each morning and lets out between 2:50 and 3:10 each afternoon, depending on grade level. But for more than 150 students involved in the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), school can start as early as 7:30 a.m. and last until 4:30 p.m.

ELOP – which also exists at Denair Middle School and Denair High School – allows students to get more attention from instructors on core subjects like English, math and social studies in addition to enrichment opportunities in areas like art, yearbook or Baile folklorico dancing.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Denair Unified School District board, DECA Principal Laura Cardenas explained more about how ELOP works. She was accompanied by some of her teachers as well as some students.

“ELOP is filled with purposeful learning and engaging activities,” Cardenas told trustees. “Students receive dedicated homework support to build confidence and essential study skills, while enrichment opportunities allow them to explore their extracurricular activities.”

DECA has 555 students in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. Of that number, 154 participate in ELOP, which has been offered since 2021.

For some parents with busy work schedules, being able to drop their children off by 7:30 a.m. and not having to pick them up until later is important. Whether before or after school, ELOP aims to take academic advantage of that extra time.

Some students practice on personalized iReady tests to help them improve their foundational skills while others enjoy enrichment opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. Teachers also come up with fun activities in the afternoon in addition to study sessions.

Superintendent Terry Metzger recognizes that a nine-hour instructional day is a long day for students and applauded staff for continually working to ensure that before and after school programs are a balance between academic support and fun activities. “We’re already looking forward to our summer program,” she added.

In other action Thursday, trustees:

• Approved a request by the Denair High School Sober Grad Committee to host Grad Night 2025 at the Gas Light Theatre in Denair. After the graduation ceremony May 23 at Jack Lytton Stadium, students and chaperones will go to the theatre for a party that will last until 1 a.m.
• Heard a report about the second year of results in the iReady testing program. Superintendent Terry Metzger said the district is seeing progress but must continue to monitor platform usage and lesson pass rate in order to see “stretch growth” (which refers to students who are two or more years below grade level in a subject catching up faster as part of an effort to close their achievement gap).
• Listened to a midyear report on the district’s performance relative to its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which is required by the state. Metzger said all schools showed growth on the identified metrics in the areas of academics, engagement, and college and career readiness.
• Approved the 2025-26 school safety plan, which continues to be updated as safety and security projects are completed on the district’s campuses. Metzger said the district is working with Knowledge Saves Lives to develop a threat assessment team/protocols document.s
• Voted to keep the busing schedule as it is and make no changes to it for the next school year.
• Approved the 8^th annual trip to Disneyland by members of the high school football team. Coach Anthony Armas is a big Disneyland fan and uses the trip as a team-bonding experience. This year, players will travel to Anaheim June 27-30. The cost is about $600 per player – which they must pay for and includes admission to Disneyland and California Adventure, plus their hotel room.

Tuesday will be a busy night for Denair High School’s sports teams and fans with three squads – girls soccer, boys soccer and boys basketball – all competing in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. Here is a quick preview of what is happening.

Girls Soccer

The Coyotes won the Southern League championship with a perfect 12-0 record, earning themselves a first-round bye and the No. 4 seed in the Division 6 playoffs. Denair (16-5-1) hosts No. 5 Bradshaw Christian (8-9-5) of Sacramento at 6 p.m. under the lights at Jack Lytton Stadium. Bradshaw defeated Rio Vista 9-0 in its first match Friday.

The winner of tonight’s match will move into the semifinals Thursday to face the winner of No. 1 Ripon Christian (12-8-1) and No. 8 Millennium (11-6-2) of Tracy.

Denair is led by sophomore star Jazmin Padilla, whose 46 goals this season rank her third in the entire Section. The Coyotes haven’t lost since they fell 2-1 to Hughson on Dec. 16.

Boys Soccer

Denair had no trouble with its first-round opponent as the sixth-seeded Coyotes coasted to a 6-1 victory at home Friday over No. 11 Vacaville Christian in the Division 6 playoffs. Denair (10-7-4) will be on the road tonight to play No. 3 Esparto (12-6-1). It is a rematch of the 2023 playoff game won 2-0 by Denair, which earned the Coyotes their second consecutive Section championship.

Tonight’s winner will move on to the semifinals Thursday against the winner of the match between No. 2 Bradshaw Christian (12-7-1) and No. 7 Woodland Christian (8-10-2).

Boys Basketball

Denair tied for second in the Southern League, earning it one of the lower seeds in the Division 5 playoff bracket. The Coyotes (15-11) were seeded 18^th in the 19-team tournament and will be on the road tonight for a play-in game against No. 15 Summerville (8-16), which finished fifth in the Mother Lode League.

Tonight’s winner will have to turn around and play again Wednesday at No. 2 seed Argonaut (22-6), which finished second in the Sierra Valley Conference.

Denair junior Koby Cervantes leads the team in points (22.0 per game), rebounds (11.1) and blocks (2.3). Sebastian Esquivel is first in assists (2.4) and steals (2.6). The Coyotes come into the playoffs riding a four-game winning streak.

Denair High School will host an orientation session Wednesday, Feb. 12 for all eighth-graders who will be freshmen in the next school year. The students as well as their parents are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Denair High band room.

School officials will explain the various academic and vocational programs and electives – including Dual Language Immersion — that are offered at Denair High. They will go over graduation requirements for the Class of 2029 as well as what is needed to prepare students to apply for four-year state colleges and universities. 

Booths representing Denair High sports teams as well as the many clubs and other organizations on campus will be set up and staffed by people with information.

Incoming freshmen – with their parents’ input and guidance – also will be able to start the process of signing up for their classes in the next school year.

Dinner will be served to students and their parents. The Coyote Cup of Kindness cart – operated by the special education students at DHS – will be serving drinks. There also will be raffle prizes.

“Orientation provides an opportunity for students and families to meet our amazing staff and learn about the courses, CTE and A-G pathways and programs/clubs offered at DHS,” said Principal Breanne Aguiar.

If students and families cannot make the event, they can contact the DHS office at (209) 632-9911 to set up an orientation to learn about what is offered and tour the campus.

The Denair High girls soccer team – led by prolific sophomore star Jazmin Padilla – is on the verge of capturing the Southern League championship and locking up a high playoff seeding.

After a so-so start to the season, the Coyotes have won six matches in a row to run their record to 12-5-1. More impressively, Denair is a perfect 8-0 in the Southern League with four matches to play.

“Our team has strongly improved since the start of the season due to the commitment of these wonderful young ladies. They work hard and have terrific attitudes,” said coach Mark Morphy.

Padilla’s 32 goals rank her third among all players in the Sac-Joaquin Section, which includes 198 schools from north of Sacramento to south of Merced. She had three goals in Denair’s most recent victory, a 4-0 shutout at home last Friday against Delhi.

Padilla comes from a talented soccer family, including her father, Tony, who is an assistant coach for Denair.

“Jazmin is a very skilled player who loves the game of soccer,” Morphy said. “Her footwork and strong legs are the key to her success. She is usually doubled- or tripled-teamed, but because of her ability to move the ball quickly, she can shoot and score.”

The Coyotes are far more than a one-girl team, however. Senior striker Abby Hernandez is a three-year starter who is second with seven goals. Two other seniors, Andrea Vasquez and Ana Renteria, consistently controls the middle of the field, pushing the ball ahead to Padilla and Hernandez. Morphy called Renteria “tough as nails.”

Denair’s defense has posted five shutouts in Southern League matches and has allowed only six goals in the other three, all victories. Morphy credited senior Lisbet Lopez, junior Emma Sarmiento and freshman Gracie Brigham for clamping down on opponents. Freshman goalie Aileen Chavez hasn’t had to face a lot of shots but has been solid as the last line of defense.

Denair has four league matches left, beginning Friday at home against Le Grand (4-10, 3-5), followed by a road contest at Mariposa (1-5) on Feb. 4, home against Waterford (2-16, 0-8) on Feb. 7 and the final regular-season game at Gustine (9-4-2, 6-1-1) on Feb. 11.

The Sac-Joaquin Section playoff pairings will be released Feb. 12. Denair currently is ranked second in Division VI behind Vacaville Christian (9-3-1). The top four seeds receive first-round byes in the 12-team playoff bracket.