Denair School District Facing $700,000 In Debt Votes To Prevent State Takeover

DENAIR (CBS13) — A crumbling school district in Stanislaus County is trying to save itself from collapsing under $700,000 of debt.

The Denair Unified School District school board voted Thursday to take steps to prevent a state takeover. The board is still waiting on the teachers' association to respond to the offer.

The tiny town of Denair has a population of only 4,000 people. To slash the debt that's nearly $200 per resident, 25 teachers were cut this year, and the remaining teachers are being asked to take an 11 percent cut.

"What that amounts to, from what I understand, is like 22 days of work," said Brad Webb, who's taught in Denair for 35 years. "He wants us to work for a whole month for free."

Fighting between the sides has led the district to spend nearly $100,000 on legal fees in recent months.