Tag Archives: Denair Unified School District

DHS’s 2016 Grad Rate Continues to Exceed State and County Averages

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Denair High School long has been a leader among all Stanislaus County campuses when it comes to graduating its students. That trend continued with the Class of 2016.

Denair compiled a 97.1% graduation rate – 66 of its 68 seniors earned a diploma last spring. That compares with an 83.8% rate among all schools in Stanislaus County and 83.2% in California.

In the past seven years, graduation rates at Denair High have been as high as 100% (2010-11) and never lower than 93.7% (2013-14). By comparison, Stanislaus has fluctuated between 74.9% and 84.6% while  the state was as low as 74.7% as recently as 2010-11.

“Student graduation rates reflect the dedication of our community and schools to the education and success of our students,” said Aaron Rosander, superintendent of the Denair Unified School District. “We are proud as well of our teachers and staff who continue to raise the academic rigor that best prepares today’s students for their challenges that await them in college and their professional careers.”

Many of Denair’s graduates attended public and private universities in California, while others have been accepted at prestigious colleges out of state.

College attendance is emphasized and encouraged at all grade levels, there are college application workshops, presentations from schools from the UC and CSU systems, and Denair High School’s counselor works with students and their families on enrollment, grant and scholarship applications.

“Going to college improves students’ job opportunities,” said Cherie Gresham, the counselor and college advisor at Denair. Continue reading “DHS’s 2016 Grad Rate Continues to Exceed State and County Averages” »

Denair Trustees Cut Ties With 4 Certificated Employees

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An emotional meeting of the Denair Unified School District board that lasted well past midnight ended with the announcement that four certificated employees will not return for the 2017-18 school year.

Two of the employees submitted resignations that were accepted. Two others still on probation were told their contracts would not be renewed. Certificated employees can be teachers or administrators.

Under the California Education Code and union agreement, teachers with less than two years’ experience in a district must be notified by March 15 each year whether they will be released.

With that in mind, more than 100 students, parents, teachers and community members gathered beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday in the board meeting room. Over the next 90 minutes, the five DUSD trustees listened to expressions of support for individual teachers.

Because personnel issues were involved, trustees and district officials could not respond.

The board took a short break at 7:45 p.m., then returned and heard from a few more audience members. Then, trustees spent the next 2½ hours dealing with their regular agenda, including accepting a financial report that shows the district continues to improve its position thanks to enrollment growth.

About 10:12 p.m., the board went into closed session. Trustees emerged about 12:07 a.m. and announced the personnel decisions to the 30 or so people who had waited.

The vote was 4-1, according to board President Kathi Dunham-Filson. She joined Trustees Ray Prock Jr., John Plett and Sandi Dirkse to support the motion related to the four certificated employees. Trustee Robert Hodges voted against it.

Denair has about 70 teachers and eight administrators in the district. Continue reading “Denair Trustees Cut Ties With 4 Certificated Employees” »

Hispanic Youth Leadership Council Coming to Denair High

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Students at Denair High School will again have a chance to participate on a Hispanic Youth Leadership Council after the club unanimously was approved Thursday night by school district trustees.

There are HYLC groups at more than 25 high schools in Stanislaus County, trustees were told during a presentation by organizer Luis Jimenez. He is the senior outreach executive for the Boy Scouts of America is this region, which shares oversight of the HYLC clubs with the Hispanic Leadership Council.

Denair High once had an HYLC chapter, but interest waned and it was folded. Now, said Spanish teacher Sandra Cisneros, there are plenty of new students. Freshman Christian Obando already has been chosen as president. Cisneros will be the on-campus advisor.

HYLC groups are open to all students, regardless of ethnicity. The goals are to foster leadership, community involvement, higher education and cultural awareness among students, Jimenez said. He said HYLC members in Stanislaus County already have contributed more than 18,000 volunteer hours this school year.

The organization’s motto is “Nunca Te Rindas” … “Never Give Up.” There are monthly meetings, social activities, career awareness and college information, speech contests, and community service projects at parks, animal shelter, Earth Day and other events.

In other action, trustees:

  • Agreed to re-open negotiations on salaries, sick leave and stipends with the Denair Unified Teachers Association for a contract that would run from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.
  • Approved the attendance of 11 Denair High students at the FFA Leadership Conference Jan. 20-21 in Monterey. Ag teacher Matthew Marshall said the conference focuses on FFA leadership and showing animals, classroom participation and access to ag classes, and student projects.

Reviewed a proposal for two $75,000 block grants – one each at Denair High School and Denair Charter Academy — to improve college readiness among students. The program could include increased preparation for Advanced Placement testing and assistance to help teens take better notes and foster more efficient study habits, among other ideas.

Denair Charter Academy Hourly Teachers Receive Pay Increases

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Another piece of the salary restoration puzzle was put into place by Denair Unified School District on Thursday night when they unanimously approved 2.2% pay increases for 13 teachers at Denair Charter Academy.

The instructors at the campus serve home-school students and parents in grades kindergarten through eighth as well as teens enrolled in the independent study high school program.

Unlike teachers at the district’s other campuses, they are paid hourly and are not covered by a union contract. When the district faced financial crisis in 2013, their pay was reduced 3.5%. Thursday’s board action restores their wage in the same proportion as already has occurred this year for union-covered teachers, as well as non-teaching classified staff and administrators.

Also on Thursday, the board:

  • Elected Trustee Kathi Dunham-Filson as board president for 2017 and Trustee Ray Prock Jr. as clerk.
  • Approved the addition of two new courses at DCA: the history of Mexico and introduction to culinary arts. Matthew Groom will teach the first course; Barry Cole will lead the second.
  • Heard a report from Lucy Zamora, principal at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, and four of her instructors who recently attended a conference on dual immersion language programs in New Mexico.
  • Cheered as Denair High School Principal Kara Backman reported that more than $30,000 was raised for the campus’ FFA programs and students from the first-ever tractor pull in November. More than 1,100 people attended the event at Jack Lytton Stadium.
  • Heard a presentation from Mike Curry of Johnson Farms, asking the district to join other public agencies and residents in opposing the State Water Resources Control Board’s plan to increase flows in the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers.

Denair Trustees Approve 4% Pay Increases

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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” »