Tag Archives: board meeting

Denair Unified Trustees Formally Adopt $13.5 Million Budget

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

With little comment and cautious optimism for the future, Denair Unified School District trustees unanimously approved a $13.5 million budget for the 2016-17 school year Thursday night.

The new budget includes 1% salary increases for all employees, one-time investments in technology and academic programs, additional state-mandated contributions to retirement plans and two new teachers at Denair Elementary Charter Academy to expand the dual-immersion Spanish language program.

“What a change we’ve seen in our budget the past three years,” said board President Sandi Dirkse.

In 2013, the district was on the verge of state takeover because of its precarious financial position. It slashed salaries for all employees 8% and needed loans from the Stanislaus County Office of Education to balance its books.

Those difficult days are behind DUSD now, though continued enrollment declines at Denair High School have offset gains made at its two charter campuses – DECA and Denair Charter Academy.

Linda Covello, the district’s chief business officer, said next year’s budget has an ending balance of $3.3 million, which includes about $600,000 in restricted funds that only can be spent on one-time projects.

In other action Thursday night, trustees:

  • Unanimously approved 1% salary hikes for Superintendent Aaron Rosander and Covello. They were the final two employees who had not yet received raises.
  • Agreed to shorten administrators’ schedules from 220 to 210 days per year. Teachers and classified staff – both represented by unions – are contracted to work 180 and 200 days, respectively.

Adopted Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP) for the district and each of its four campuses. They are three-year overviews of specific academic and programming goals and how the district will pay for them. They were formed with input from the community as well as staff members.

Proposed 2016-17 DUSD Budget Includes Pay Hikes, Investments in Tech and New Programs

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair Unified School District trustees signaled support Thursday night for a 2016-17 budget that includes small salary increases for all employees and one-time investments in technology and academic programs.

The proposed budget envisions spending $13.5 million in the next school year as compared to about $13.3 million in 2015-16. The difference, explained Chief Business Officer Linda Covello, mostly is due to the 1% pay raises previously approved for all employees plus state-mandated additional contributions to their retirement funds.

There will be two teaching positions added at Denair Elementary Charter Academy to expand the dual-immersion Spanish language program to the first grade.

Extra money received from the state the past few years will be used to buy new 31 new computers for the Denair High School lab as well as innovative Spanish programs for all campuses and a new math curriculum for the elementary campus. Covello said committees composed of staff members are in the process of identifying additional needs across the district. Because the money comes from one-time reimbursements from the state, Covello said it is best invested in equipment, programs or maintenance upgrades that are not ongoing and do not need to be funded each year.

The 2016-17 budget remains lean because the district still projects a slight decline in enrollment. Each student is worth about $8,000 in state funding based on average daily attendance (ADA). In the past five years, ADA has fallen from 1,535 students to 1,275. Continue reading “Proposed 2016-17 DUSD Budget Includes Pay Hikes, Investments in Tech and New Programs” »

Denair Unified Trustees Thank Staff for Patience, Approve 1% Salary Increases for All Employees

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair Unified School District trustees approved 1% salary raises for all employees Thursday night, the first step in what they hope will be additional moves to restore across-the-board pay cuts imposed three years ago.

Even as trustees passed the motion 4-0 (board member Ray Prock Jr. was absent), they acknowledged that would like to do more as financial conditions improve.

“I look at this as we’re finally able to give something back,” Trustee Robert Hodges said. “This is a good-faith effort that we’re going to (restore salaries) as soon as possible.”

Salaries for every Denair employee were reduced by 8% in 2013 as one part of an effort to bring the district’s expenses and revenue into alignment. The lingering effects of the recession and declining enrollment combined to push the district into financial crisis, which required a short-term loan from the Stanislaus County Office of Education and intervention by the state.

Those dark days are well in the past now, district officials stressed Thursday, but enrollment remains an issue. Denair Elementary Charter Academy and Denair Charter Academy have consistently added students, but that growth has been offset by continued declines at Denair High School.

Enrollment provides the biggest chunk of income for any district in California, with the state paying about $8,000 per student per year based on what is known as Average Daily Attendance. In Denair, ADA has fallen the past five years from 1,535 students to 1,275.

“Our major goal is to not just restore salaries to where they were, but to go beyond,” Superintendent Aaron Rosander said. “We want our employees to have the salaries that they rightfully deserve.”

The pay raises take effect July 1 for the 2016-17 school year. Collectively, they will add $98,499 to the district’s budget next year.

The district remains in contract negotiations with the two bargaining units representing its 60 teachers and 63 classified staff. Continue reading “Denair Unified Trustees Thank Staff for Patience, Approve 1% Salary Increases for All Employees” »