Tag Archives: District Charter

Denair Unified Trustees Will Not Seek Parcel Tax or Write New charter to Cover All Campuses

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The Denair Unified School District Board of Trustees reversed course Thursday night, abandoning plans to seek a parcel tax next year and write a new districtwide charter for all grades.

The decisions came after back-to-back presentations by Superintendent Terry Metzger and Chief Business Officer Linda Covello, who briefed the board and the audience. Trustees began exploring the two concepts earlier this year.

The parcel tax was pitched as a way to restore employee salaries that were slashed by as much as 11% during budget cuts in 2013 and have not been fully reinstated. It would have added $85 to $95 annually to each property owner’s tax bill for no more than five years.

During multiple town hall meetings and conversations with staff, parents and other community members, Metzger came to realize there was not nearly the level of support needed for the parcel tax to pass. It would have required two-thirds approval of those who voted.

“Public support of a parcel tax today does not seem to match the earlier reports” said Metzger, referring to a phone poll of potential voters completed in the spring.

She also cited concern from employees who live in the district and felt it would be unfair for them to be taxed more to increase their own salaries.

In addition, the district would have had to bear the cost of a special election, estimated at up to $50,000.

After the presentation, trustees reaffirmed their commitment to restoring salaries as soon as it is fiscally sustainable. They directed Metzger and Covello to review this year’s budget in an effort to find potential savings that could be applied to pay as well as approach next year’s budget with salary restoration as a priority.

Metzger and board members emphasized that increasing enrollment and attendance are intertwined with salary restoration. Enrolling 20 more students would increase revenue by about $150,000, Covello said. A 1% increase in attendance across the district would be worth about $100,000.

Full salary restoration would cost about $428,000 a year.

The district currently is in salary negotiations with both of its employee unions.

Denair already operates charter schools for elementary, homeschool and independent study students. Extending a charter to the middle and high school campuses was envisioned as a way to allow greater flexibility in programming and teacher assignments across all grade levels.

But serious questions were raised, Metzger told trustees.

One of them involved money. A few months ago, the district believed it would be in line for as much as $1.5 million in federal start-up money. That no longer is certain.

“Without the influx of funding, it would be difficult to build all the programs at one time and attract new students,” Covello said.

“That’s a concern for me,” said Trustee John Plett.

Equally important were worries about whether Denair High School’s six-year accreditation – received just last year – would have to be recertified under a new charter. That is a complicated and time-consuming task for administrators.

Also unclear was whether the high school’s popular 135-student FFA club – a fixture on campus for 58 years – would have to disband and reapply as a new school.

And while a charter was viewed as a potential magnet to attract new students from out of the district, it also made it easier for current students to transfer out, Metzger said.

The bottom line, she believes, is that the district can implement the kinds of forward-thinking, innovative and integrated programs it has discussed under its current structure. For instance, Metzger said the district can extend the popular Spanish/English dual language immersion program now offered at Denair Elementary Charter Academy into middle school without being a charter district.

“Personally, I think we can do what we want to do, but use a different vehicle,” said Board President Ray Prock Jr. He also suggested the district can more aggressively seek state and federal grants to pay for new programs.

“We went into this with good intentions – the charter as well as the parcel tax – along with building good programs,” said Trustee Crystal Sousa.

In other action Thursday, trustees:

  • Unanimously agreed to apply for a state Career Technical Education facilities grant to build a farm and technology center. The goal is to boost student skills, especially with agribusiness dominant in this region. The project is estimated to cost $3.9 million; the grant would cover half, with the district using bonds to pay its share. The project would be built on the basketball courts behind the middle school. The farm would have an amphitheater and outdoor classroom, room for livestock and land to grow plants. It could be the site for a farmers market on the weekend. The technology center would have six temperature controlled classrooms and a lab in the middle, providing many opportunities to use the most current technology in the agriculture and natural resources sectors.
  • Upheld, in closed session, the expulsion of three students who violated the district’s code of conduct.
  • Raised construction fees charged on new homes or commercial buildings built within the district’s boundaries. The fees were raised 43 cents to $3.79 per square foot for new residential developments and increased 7 cents to 61 cents per square foot for new commercial construction. They will become effective on Dec. 10. The state allows districts to raise fees every two years. It has been 3½ years since Denair’s last increase.
  • Heard a report about the possibility of reintegrating 13 special education students in grades 7 to 12 who live in the Denair district but now attend Turlock schools. Among the goals are to allow those students to attend mainstream classes, teach them lifelong academic and social skills, and save on the costs of outsourcing. The process begins with the submission of a letter to the Stanislaus County Office of Education.
  • Approved formation of a boys volleyball club at Denair High School. If there is enough interest, the club could become a competitive team in time for the spring 2020 season. The club will be led by Christy North, who also coaches the school’s girls team.

Community Discussions Generate Many Good Ideas; Denair Trustees Take Next Steps Toward District Charter

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Terry Metzger is an optimist. But the new Denair Unified School District superintendent also is a realist. It will take a clear, credible, honest message to gain enough community support to pass a parcel tax next spring – the linchpin in the district’s two-part vision to restore salaries and recruit teachers to propel education forward.

The second piece of that vision involves transforming DUSD into a charter district, which would allow greater flexibility in programming and teacher assignments.

Earlier this month, Metzger held town hall meetings with community members and staff to explain how the concepts support the long-term goals of the district and to listen to questions and comments.

Thursday night, she reported on the meetings to the district’s Board of Trustees.

Part of the conversation, Metzger explained, was asking those in attendance to participate in “vision casting.” She asked her audiences to finish two open-ended sentences:

  • “When my child graduates …”
  • “A great school …”

Respondents used words and phrases like “competence,” “employable,” “prepared for a global world,” “community leaders,” “internally motivated,” and “passionate and compassionate” to complete the first sentence.

For the second, they said characteristics of a great school include “high expectations,” “accountability for everyone,” “are inviting and inclusive,” “prepare students for college and life,” “are safe and stable,” “have excellent staff,” “are innovative,” “support parents and families” and “have a sense of community voice.”

Potentially passing a parcel tax and adopting a districtwide charter are two ways to boost the quality of education in Denair.

Metzger describes the parcel tax as a way “launch the vision” by restoring salaries that were slashed in 2013. Though the district’s finances have since stabilized and overall enrollment has grown, longtime employees still are paid today about what they were 11 years ago.

“It would be a short-term community investment in DUSD that will bring long-term community benefits,” she explained at the Sept. 4 meeting.

A parcel tax would add between $85 to $96 per year to each property owner’s tax bill for no more than five years. The earliest community members could vote on the idea would be next March. Before that happens, trustees must hold a public hearing and then vote to move ahead with a special election, which could cost up to $50,000. Two-thirds of those voting would have to approve for it to pass.

Trustee Crystal Sousa, who attended one of the community meetings, said a parcel tax would be a challenge.

“There still seems to be some mistrust and fear (from the community),” she said. “We have to be extremely clear and extremely transparent. Our messaging has to be right on. We are committed to full salary restoration. We know how hard the staff works and we want to accomplish that.”

Writing a districtwide charter also is a key part of the district’s long-term vision. Thursday, trustees directed Metzger to begin drafting it.

Denair Elementary Charter Academy and Denair Charter Academy (for home-school and independent study students) already operate in such a manner. A new charter would extend to Denair Middle School and Denair High School.

Key to the charter concept, the leaders explained, is the creation of fully integrated “pathways” that begin in kindergarten and extend through high school. Parents and students could choose from career and technical education pathways that include not only core academics but music, Spanish and world languages, agriculture, and possibly law enforcement.

Exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts would be emphasized in each pathway, as would leadership activities.

The idea is to prepare students not just for college but to move from school into productive careers.

At least half of Denair’s teachers must sign off on the charter idea, but Metzger said “we want a bigger consensus than that.” Community input must be solicited and a committee formed to write the new charter, which ultimately needs approval from the state Board of Education. Like the parcel tax, that also could come early next year.

In other action Thursday, trustees:

  • Heard a presentation by high school Principal Kara Backman and Chief Budget Officer Linda Covello about the district’s application for a state Career Technical Education facilities grant to build a farm and technology center. The goal is to boost student skills, especially with agribusiness dominant in this region. The project is estimated to cost $3.9 million; the grant would cover half, with the district using bonds to pay its share. The project would be built on the basketball courts behind the middle school. The farm would have an amphitheater/outdoor classroom, room for livestock and land to grow plants. It could be the site for a farmers market on the weekend. The technology center would have six temperature controlled classrooms and a lab in the middle, providing many opportunities to use the most current technology in the Agriculture and Natural Resources industry sector.
  • Listened as Metzger explained the significance of and how to interpret the California Assessment of Student Progress and Performance (CAASPP). The tests in English and math are taken online over seven hours each spring by students in grades 3 through 8 as well as high school juniors. The results are reported statewide. Denair students in 2016-18 performed under state averages. “They are high profile and high stakes, but they are not what we are about,” Metzger cautioned. “They are often misinterpreted. They represent the cumulative effects of instruction.” The superintendent pledged to work with teachers to evaluate the results and identify what is working and what isn’t. “This is a starting point for us,” Metzger said.

Approved an update of their governance handbook that lays out shared goals and objectives in hopes of “working toward the future while learning from the past.” The document includes a revised mission statement: “Denair Unified School District empowers tomorrow’s leaders through exemplary instruction and powerful innovative programs. Our exceptional school environments are the best education choice for all students.”