A local music teacher claims his school principal is trying to discontinue an award winning music program for students.
“I've built incredible Mariachi, steel-drum, African-drum program,” said Keith Ballard, an award winning teacher with the Sweetwater Union High School District since 1998. “I probably have the most diverse program in America."
Ballard told NBC 7, he has taken the music program at Southwest Middle School to a new level. He said, in part, that is due to donations from parents that are needed to pay for instruments, an instructor and activities.
He said he raises about $8,000 to $10,000 a year.
Ballard said, on Friday, his principal gave him a letter of reprimand, accusing him of creating a culture where everyone has to pay to be part of the program.
But he argued that the principal had been fully aware how he was raising money.
“He’s claiming he went to parent meetings, but he didn’t know I was following up with the kids. That's all I was doing--following up with kids on the donations, gently telling them to remind their parents to send it in, based on what parents wanted to do. I don’t believe that's illegal at all,” said Ballard.
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George Edward Cuevas, who has a daughter in Ballard’s music class said, the music teacher “never forced money out of them."
"Never said directly 'You have to give,'" Cuevas said. "This it was all through donations.”
He added that no student was ever left behind on an activity or anything else for lack of a donation.
“I had to pick things up, beg, borrow, whatever I needed to do for the kids," Ballard said. "For me, it’s always about the kids.”
Ballard added he is more upset that the principal is accusing him of illegally raising funds for the band, even though the principal was aware of his efforts.
Manny Rubio, a district spokesperson, said he could not speak specifically about this case because it is a personnel issue.
But he told NBC 7 that parents cannot be pressured to pay for any program at school.
“There are definitely allowable donations, but we want to make sure we are following the letter of the law because it is about access," Rubio said. "If a student has a desire to be part of an activity, they have access.”
Rubio said it is a good reminder for parents--no one should pay to play.
