Tag Archives: Denair Unified School District

Denair Unified Kicks Off New School Year on Wednesday

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Years of Service Recognition
Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Classroom doors will swing open and Denair Unified School District students will return to class Wednesday at 8 a.m. to begin the 2015-16 school year. There have been some significant changes in the few short months since students and staff started their summer break.

A new elementary school, Denair Elementary Charter Academy, has been formed. It cleared its final administrative hurdle in July when it received approval from the State Department of Education. Already, it has generated widespread interest among parents. Enrollment has swelled to 510 students, about 35 more than at the end of the last school year.

  • Three new principals have been hired. Alecia Myers takes over at Denair High School, Travis Manley is the new leader at Denair Middle School and Dawn Allen will oversee Denair Charter Academy.
  • New teachers have been added on every campus and a learning director has joined the DECA staff.
  • Thanks growth at the elementary level, enrollment is holding steady at about 1,275 students. That number is likely to increase as out-of-district independent study high school students enroll at Denair Charter Academy in the coming months.
  • The district’s administrative offices are poised to move from portable buildings the state no longer approved of to three remodeled former classrooms on the old Denair Academic Avenues campus.

There were plenty of smiles and hugs Tuesday morning as Superintendent Aaron Rosander welcomed teachers and staff members for a full day of training. Eighteen employees were honored for years of service ranging from 10 to 30 years for what Rosander called “the greatest profession on the planet.” Continue reading “Denair Unified Kicks Off New School Year on Wednesday” »

DUSD Administrative Offices Relocating

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DUSD Administrative Offices

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

A state law that restricts the use of portable school buildings will require the Denair Unified School District to move its administrative offices into three spare classrooms.

The offices of the superintendent and his staff and the chief business officer and her staff currently are in two relocatable buildings on Lester Road adjacent to the elementary campus and across the street from Denair Middle School. The oldest building was installed in 1980 and the other in 2001.

But a state law that went into effect in September 2006 says that any portable buildings in which teachers or students spend even a short amount of time cannot be used as school facilities after Sept. 30, 2015.

District officials intend to modify three adjoining elementary classrooms. Partitions dividing the rooms will be removed and new offices created for Superintendent Aaron Rosander, Chief Business Officer Linda Covello, Senior Director of Student Support Services Michelle Bush and their administrative staffs.

Covello expects the project to cost about $35,000 and be completed by the time school resumes in early August. The money will come from a restricted maintenance fund that has $60,000 in it carried over from last year.

“This is isn’t our choice. Our space is working for us. We could stay where we are, but the state says we have to move,” she said.

Covello said the superintendent’s office could be repurposed into a space for the district information and technology staff because students have no need to go there. The other building is likely to be locked and fenced off.

The IT staff currently is housed in what used to be the Denair Elementary School Office, in the mid 1990’s.

DHS Staffing Adjusted to Reflect Enrollment Decline

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

No teachers are losing their jobs, but four instructors will have reduced class schedules in 2015-16 because of projected enrollment declines at Denair High School.

There are 305 students currently at the high school, but only 270 are expected on campus for the first day of the 2015-16 school year when it begins Aug. 12. That disappointing trend required Denair Unified School District trustees to vote unanimously Thursday night to pare back the number of classes offered. If enrollment picks up, some of the teaching hours and classes could be restored.

Superintendent Aaron Rosander stated, “While it’s unfortunate to layoff even partial teaching positions, this reduction is necessary due to a downtick in enrollment at the high school. Having said this, the overall enrollment trend for the District is beginning to show improvement. This should ultimately have a positive effect on Denair High School in future years”.

The district needed to reduce teaching hours by the equivalent of two full-time positions, or 12 classes, trustees were told. The resignation of a part-time Spanish teacher provided one period. The teaching loads of four other teachers were reduced by one, two or three periods each to make up the balance.

No subject was eliminated. Small reductions occurred in English, math and science, civics and economics, world history, PE, health, computer science and Spanish.

Denair High School continues to perform well overall. Its graduation rate is among the highest in Stanislaus County. And the school stood out in the California High School Exit Exam, or CAHSEE, results released this week. Continue reading “DHS Staffing Adjusted to Reflect Enrollment Decline” »