The ripple effect of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact public education across California.

First, it pushed students and teachers out of their classrooms and into distance-learning mode for the final two months of the school year. That was an important and necessary effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Now, COVID is affecting the financial capacity of districts to keep programming where it was before the crisis hit. That’s because state revenue has plunged during the pandemic with many businesses temporarily shuttered and tax receipts drying up. That directly hits education funding, which Gov. Newsome proposed to slash by $15 billion in his 2020-21 budget revision released in May.

Thursday night, Denair Unified School District trustees learned just what that potential cut means to their four campuses as they approved a bare-bones $14,539,016 budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. By comparison, this year’s budget was $15,344,091. About 80% of the district’s budget is dependent upon state funding.

“This is no normal year. And this is no ordinary May revision,” said Linda Covello, the district’s chief business official.

DENAIR – The Denair High School gym long has been known as a hot, humid, uncomfortable place to play or watch a game or hold a schoolwide rally, especially in the warmer months of the year. Now, thanks to a multimillion-dollar air conditioning upgrade, students, staff and community members no longer will have to swelter.

Tuesday morning, a large crane lifted two 25-ton heating and air units into place on top of the gym. When they’re connected and turned on, the cool confines of the gym may be the place to be on sunny summer afternoon.

That’s rarely been the case in the past.

Principal Kara Backman said the gym could get as high as 94 degrees. Boys basketball Coach R.J. Henderson described conditions as “miserable” during youth basketball camps in the summer. “It was hotter inside than outside,” he said. Athletic Director Melissa Treadwell used to bring in large fans to try and cool the gym before events.

Jacob Lewellen’s passion for volleyball is undeniable. The recent Denair High graduate was the driving force behind the formation of a boys volleyball team this year at the school. And even though the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the inaugural season after just two games, Lewellen’s dedication to the sport earned him some well-deserved recognition when he recently was chosen for a regional all-star team.

Lewellen was one of 12 players selected for the South Small-School team in the Sacramento Optimist all-star games, which were scheduled for May 31 but cancelled because of coronavirus health concerns.

“It was kind of unexpected,” said Lewellen of his all-star status. “I didn’t know it was a thing.”

Lewellen was exposed to high-level volleyball from an early age. His father, David, was a pro beach volleyball player when the family lived in Florida. When they moved to California, David served as the coach of the girls team at Denair High. Jacob was in middle school then and participated in almost every practice.

Three teachers, a longtime campus supervisor and an elementary school paraeducator have announced their retirements from the Denair Unified School District at the end of this school year.

Those retiring are:

• Denair Middle School teacher Curtis Wooten
• Denair Elementary Charter School teacher Kathy Perry
• DMS campus supervisor Don Smith
• Denair High School teacher Joe Esquivel
• DECA paraeducator Laurel Dodd

Jacob Carlos is the Denair High School Class of 2020 valedictorian thanks to his 4.25 grade-point average. The salutatorian will be Brigg Wenstrand, who compiled a 4.22 GPA in his four years.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the graduation ceremony on Friday, May 22 will be a drive-through event beginning at 7 p.m. at Jack Lytton Stadium. Each graduate will ride in a vehicle with up to nine family members; everyone must stay in the car at all times. Diplomas will be handed to students through the car window.

The ceremony will be streamed live on the Denair High School Facebook page,  on DESPN’s Instagram live page and on the NFHS network free of charge for families to watch, starting at 7 p.m. The nearby Church of the Nazarene also will put it on its YouTube channel.

Carlos and Wenstrand recently took time to answer some questions about their high school experiences.

Question: Obviously, the Class of 2020 will have a much different graduation experience than any in many generations. How do you think that will shape you and your classmates? 

Carlos: Obviously, this experience isn’t what we expected. I think it will help my classmates and I to appreciate the things in life that we have. This whole experience is an example of the phrase “anything can happen.”

Wenstrand: I think the situation that we are facing will make us all stronger for the future. Yes, right now it hurts that we can’t be together these last few weeks at things like the senior trip and even graduation parties, but five years down the road, it won’t matter as much. The lessons we are learning and the acts of kindness we are seeing around the world will be far more beneficial.