Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The national champion  Vanguard Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps of Santa Clara will return to Denair later this week with all its brass instruments, drums and colorful flags.

This is the 10th year in a row that the Santa Clara contingent has kicked off its competition season in Denair. Essentially, the week in the valley is the equivalent of spring training in baseball or summer camp in football.

The formula appears to be working. Last year, the Bay Area group captured the Drum Corps International Open Class Championship for the sixth time (and fourth since it has been training in the valley).

Longtime director Steve Barnhill and his 150-member crew – plus about 30 adults and chaperones – will arrive Saturday. They will rehearse each day starting Sunday, ending the week with a free public performance July 11 at Jack Lytton Stadium.

Submitted by Denair Unified School District:

Employees are the biggest winners in the $15.3 million budget for 2019-20 approved unanimously Thursday night by the Denair Unified School District board.

As expected, the spending plan includes salary restoration for teachers, administrators and other staff, all of whom took substantial pay cuts six years ago when the district faced financial crisis.

“The trustees were thrilled to see this happen,” Superintendent Terry Metzger said Friday. “This has been their priority.”

Restoration was achieved via a number of factors that either reduced expenses or increased revenue.

One of the key moments came this spring when Gov. Gavin Newsom chose to contribute more to the State Teachers Retirement System, or STRS. That decision will save Denair $87,500 in the next budget year, Chief Business Officer Linda Covello told trustees last week. That money will be devoted to salary restoration.

So will an estimated $110,000 saved through a dramatic reduction in out-of-town travel, lodging, meals and other costs associated with teacher and staff training in 2019-20. Instead, Covello explained, the professional development focus next year will be on training done internally or on campus. That decision was reached after positive discussions between staff and administrators.

Finally, the district expects to increase revenue from the state by about $60,000 based on having improved attendance rates at all its campuses this year.

In other action, trustees:

Submitted by Denair Unified School District:

It has taken more than six years, been the source of much angst for employees and been the highest priority for the Denair Unified School District board, and now it’s on the verge of happening. Salary restoration is about to become a reality if, as expected, trustees approve the 2019-20 budget at a special meeting next week.

By now, most who are familiar with the district know the story. In 2013, facing a financial crisis rooted in declining enrollment and reduced state reimbursements, Denair was threatened with state takeover if it didn’t drastically reduce expenses.

That led to painful cuts in salaries for all employees – 12.75% for classified (non-teaching) staff and 8% for teachers and administrators.

Almost from the moment those reductions were enacted, salary restoration became a mantra – not just for employee unions, but also for board members and the past two superintendents. Little by little over the past five years, salaries have been partially restored.

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Summer school begins Monday for students of Denair High School and Denair Charter Academy. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the DCA campus for four weeks. Students in grades nine through 12 may register at the DHS office through Friday.

Principals Linda Neely and Jamie Pecot are expecting up to 150 students, about equally divided between independent study DCA students taking English, math and science courses for credit recovery and DHS students taking cyber classes.

The morning session is from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. After a 30-minute lunch break, the afternoon session runs from noon to 3 p.m.

DCA students are required to meet on campus with their instructor once a week. The DHS students report to class each day, with the bulk of their instruction happening online.

All classes are worth five credits; students can take two. To receive full credit, students can miss no more than two days of summer school. The final day of class is June 28.

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students. The meals will be served at the Denair Elementary Charter Academy cafeteria adjacent to the DCA campus.

Contact: Linda Neely and Jamie Pecot, principals
(209) 632-9911 or lneely@dusd.k12.ca.us or jpecot@dusd.k12.ca.us

Submitted by Denair Charter Academy

Denair Charter Academy proudly celebrated the academic achievements of the 76 members of the Class of 2019 at a graduation ceremony Wednesday night at Jack Lytton Stadium.

Students Jasmine Solorio, Eddie Gomez and Catalina Serpa all spoke in addition to Principal Breanne Aguiar and Superintendent Terry Metzger.

Solorio delivered a welcome address for students, their families, Denair Unified board members and others in attendance. Gomez dedicated a poem to his fellow classmates and Serpa provided a student message.

DCA offers a rigorous independent study school option for students whose academic needs cannot be met in a traditional environment.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of each and every one of our students,” Aguiar said. “They have all traversed challenging obstacles, but have persevered and are on their way to pursuing their lifelong goals. To see our students walk across the stage was powerful. This is when you know you are making an impact. This is what we live for as educators.”