Denair Trustees Approve 4% Pay Increases

Posted on by

DUSD Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Trustees in the Denair Unified School District enthusiastically approved across-the-board 4% pay increases Thursday night, yet another sign the district’s financial recovery plan is paying dividends.

The raises are retroactive to July 1 and will be reflected in employees’ November paychecks. They add $534,113 to the cost of pay and benefits this budget year. It is money well spent, trustees say.

“If it’s there, we want to give it back,” said Trustee Robert Hodges of the money for the pay increases. The additional funds are the result of unexpectedly strong enrollment growth this year.

Denair was forced to slash salaries and staffing in 2013 when it faced a fiscal crisis due to declining enrollment and reduced state payments. Salaries for classified staff shrunk by 12%; pay for teachers and administrators was cut 8%. Some employees were laid off. The Stanislaus County Office of Education stepped in to provide temporary financial oversight.

Thursday’s move comes a month after trustees granted one-time payments of 2.37% of the salaries of all teachers who were on staff in 2015-16. Classified staff received identical bonuses earlier this year. In addition, all employees received 1% raises in the spring.

“The hope is the restoration will be ongoing,” said board President Sandi Dirkse.

Teachers in Denair can earn to $79,119 in addition to stipends for coaching or having a master’s degree. Principals can make up to $96,915, depending upon experience. Classified managers can earn up to $76,138 while non-salaried employees are paid up to $23.99 per hour.

Trustees voted 4-0 for the salary increases, with Kathi Dunham-Filson absent, after an optimistic budget report from Chief Business Officer  Linda Covello that projects the district will be on sound fiscal footing for at least the next three years.

“It’s the strongest financial position Denair Unified has been in in many years,” said Superintendent Aaron Rosander. Continue reading “Denair Trustees Approve 4% Pay Increases” »

Eight Denair High Students Recognized for Bilingual Skills

Posted on by

Denair spanish Language Recipients 2016

Submitted by Denair High School

Eight students at Denair High School have earned prestigious recognition for their bilingual speaking and writing abilities.

Senior Cesar Flores; juniors Yareli Coria, Alondra Montanez and Jesus Perez; sophomores Angela Verduzco and Reyna Villa; and freshmen Brigg Wenstrand and Jesus Flores were awarded the coveted Seal of Multilingual Proficiency in a ceremony Nov. 2 at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. The designation will be specially noted on their high school diplomas, certifying that they are fluent in English as well as Spanish.

This important recognition helps graduates when they apply to colleges, compete for scholarships or submit job applications.

“This is a verification of their skills,” said Maria Olivas, a former Spanish teacher and coordinator of the English Language Development programs in the Denair district. She also serves on the language committee run by the Stanislaus County Office of Education.

This year, about 1,100 students from 15 Stanislaus County high schools applied for the Seal of Multilingual Proficiency. Of that group, 303 were certified as meeting the bilingual standards, according to the County Office of Education. Twenty-three different languages were represented.

All students must submit an autobiography in English, followed by a 300-word essay in their other language on a designated topic. Those who pass the first step then went to the county office for face-to-face interviews in both languages. The scores from the autobiography, the essay and the interviews are combined to determine which students qualify for the seal.

“Being proficient in multiple languages enhances a student’s education and value in the marketplace,” said Tom Changnon, the county superintendent of schools. “Our economy is tied to that of other nations, and Californians who participate across international borders bring strength and potential to this state’s global enterprises.”

All the Denair students honored this year take advanced Spanish classes at the high school taught by Sandra Cisneros. In the five years of the Multi-Lingual Seal recognition program, 16 Denair students have been awarded certificates.

“As a teacher, I have been very fortunate to see that all the effort and dedication that the foreign language students have put into the multilingual seal assessment have been paid off with a grand acknowledgement and Seal diploma,” Cisneros said.

Added Olivas: “Learning a language at home is an advantage, but if they don’t have training in class, they probably won’t pass the tests.”

Three Denair Cross Country Runners Qualify for Section Meet

Posted on by

Denair High School Logo

Submitted by Denair High School

Three of the four Denair High School cross country runners who competed Saturday on a hilly course in Angels Camp qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Meet this week.

Seth Martinez (sophomore boys), Danielle Tigner (frosh/soph girls) and Johnny Ibarra (freshman boys) advanced for the Coyotes to Saturday’s at the Willow Hill course in Folsom, though Ibarra won’t run because of a previous commitment.

They qualified based on their performances at the Sac-Joaquin Sub-Section Meet at the Frogtown course near the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. They all were among the top 10 runners who were not part of the six fastest teams.

Martinez completed the two-mile course in 17 minutes, 58.2 seconds, making him 13th overall and the sixth individual qualifier.

Tigner was 10th overall in her race, finishing in 20:08.7. And Ibarra was sixth overall and the third individual qualifier with his time of 14:53.0.

A fourth Denair runner, Alex Flores (varsity boys), had his season end after finishing 82nd out of 159 runners with a time of 22:00.4 over 5 kilometers.

This was the first season for cross country at Denair and Coach Matthew Groom said his runners adapted well to a challenging course.

“The course had three hills for the lower levels and a few more for varsity. These hills were steeper than we have ever seen before,” he said.

Magical Regular Season Ends With Unexpected Loss, But Denair Still Rewarded With Football Playoff Berth

Posted on by

DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair High School

So much has gone right this year for the Denair High football team that a victory Friday over Waterford – on Senior Night, in the final regular-season game of the year, with a playoff berth likely riding on the outcome – seemed preordained.

The scrappy Coyotes have been the feel-good story of the fall, winning games despite a 15-man roster and earning regional and media attention in the process. Surely the Hollywood script writers knew the proper ending.

Uh, apparently not.

Waterford’s 20-12 victory not only threw cold water over a rabid fan base primed to let loose with a raucous celebration at Jack Lytton Stadium, it threatened to be the final act of an otherwise magical season. A playoff spot that seemed so certain suddenly was at risk.

“I think everybody was disappointed because we felt we had to win to get in,” said Coach Anthony Armas on Sunday. “We had a really good crowd. A lot of alumni showed up.”

He said the players and coaches all realized what a loss might mean. “We felt very bad. … It all kind of hit home after the game.”

Still, as had already been planned, the entire Denair team and coaching staff gathered Saturday afternoon in Athletic Director Darrin Allen’s classroom to watch a live feed of the playoff announcements. They had to wait more than an hour before the Division VI pairings were revealed.

And then they heard their names called right away.

Despite Friday’s upset, Denair was rewarded with the No. 8 seed. The Coyotes (6-4) will play top-seeded Amador (10-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. in Sutter Creek.

“We got a little reprieve,” said Armas, admitting, “I was pretty nervous.”

Making the playoffs provided a much-needed balm to the self-inflicted injuries Denair suffered through Friday against Waterford. Continue reading “Magical Regular Season Ends With Unexpected Loss, But Denair Still Rewarded With Football Playoff Berth” »

Start Your Engines! Tractor Pull Coming to Denair on November 12

Posted on by

Denair FFA Poster

Submitted by Denair High School

It’s loud. It’s fun. And, for the first time, tractor pulling is coming to Denair.

The Denair High FFA Booster Club is organizing the event, which will start at 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at Jack Lytton Stadium. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door, and can be purchased from any FFA student.

As of Friday, more than 500 tickets already had been sold. Given the long-range weather forecast for a pleasant fall night, odds are good that well more than 1,000 people will be there.

The crowd will be treated to a fun event put on by the Valley Tractor Pullers Association, which has more than 150 members. Some of them are from the Denair area and have never had a chance before to compete on their “home turf.” The VTPA stages events across the region, including at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock.

Tractor pulls involve multiple classes of vehicles – from antique tractors to modified, high-horsepower versions to souped up 4×4 pickups. Each tractor or truck is hooked up to a weighted sled. The farther the sled is pulled, the more the weight moves toward the front – making it more difficult to pull.

Competitors are scored on how far they can pull the sled.

In the Denair event, the pulling will be done on the south side of the track at the stadium. An announcer will rev up the crowd and introduce each participant. The show is expected to last up to three hours.

“It’s very family oriented,” said Ray Prock Jr., an FFA Booster Club member and also a trustee on the Denair Unified School Board.

Organizers hope to raise as much as $20,000. That money will go to support FFA programs at Denair High and pay for things like entrance fees for students at the county fair or to attend conferences.

For more on the Denair event, go to http://www.vtpapullers.org/Denair%20FFA.htm