Marble Falls ISD reinstates band director after show of support

CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — After an outpouring of support by alumni, band students and the band booster club, the outgoing Marble Falls school superintendent has reinstated the head band director June 15, a month after demoting him to a middle school position.

Superintendent Rob O’Connor made the reinstatement announcement about Brad Behrens on the day the Marble Falls Independent School District board of trustees officially accepted the superintendent’s resignation.

The resignation, effective June 30, coincides with the start of O’Connor’s new job July 6 as superintendent at Sharyland ISD in South Texas.

O’Connor said in a statement, ‘(A)fter reviewing the applicants who applied for the (MFHS band director) position, and after visiting with Mr. Behrens about his plans for the band … Mr. Behrens is the best fit for the position.”

Of the outcome, Behrens said he remains focused on the students and the program.

“I’m thrilled to be reinstated. We’re going to move forward and keep working hard to put out the best marching shows and contest shows we can,” Behrens said. “The direction is to focus on making everything a little bigger and better and making the program something the community, parents and students can be proud of.”

When O’Connor initially announced Behren’s reassignment in May, dozens of parents, students and alumni spoke out in a public meeting and wrote letters in support of Behrens, who has been with the district for 17 years — eight of them as head band director.

Despite the letters, statements and a number of calls, the administration on May 19 stated the district was “moving forward” and posted the position.

One of Behrens’ supporters is former longtime MFHS band director Ron Davis.

“I was proud to be the director of bands for MFHS for 18 years. In 1999, I was extremely lucky to be able to get Brad Behrens to come to Marble Falls as the assistant band director,” Davis wrote in a letter of support. “We worked together for eight years.

“During that time, I never doubted that Mr. Behrens gave anything less than his very best,” Davis added. “He was and is one of the hardest-working teachers I have ever met.”

Marble Falls High School graduate Allison Walker said Behrens, who students and parents refer to as “Mr. B,” plays a key role in the band program’s success.

“There’s been so much work already put into next year’s show that the parents, the community and board don’t even know about,” Walker said. “It takes years to build the relationship, the talent and the techniques the kids have perfected already.

“We already have a wonderful head director,” she added.”There’s no sense in searching for that.”

Supporters had attributed the band’s growth since 2011, in part, to Behrens’ guidance.

In the fall of 2011, the marching band enrolled 74 students, according to MFHS band booster figures.

In the fall of 2014 the band enrolled 100 to march.

For the upcoming 2015 fall season, the marching band has 110 students enrolled in the band’s marching program.

The figure reflects about 10 percent of the high school population, which is typical of high school band participation.

connie@thepicayune.com