The Region 15 UIL Executive Committee is reprimanding Sharyland ISD’s high school marching bands over UIL practice rules violations.

The committee came to the decision after meeting on Tuesday in a virtual public meeting with officials from the Brownsville and Sharyland independent school districts.

At the meeting, Porter Early College High School Principal Mary Solis claimed the Sharyland and Pioneer high school marching bands pulled students out of class, a violation of UIL guidelines, to practice for the UIL Area G Marching Contest in Mercedes.

The district was also accused of violating practice rules by having students practice for over one hour during the school day. 

Sharyland ISD Superintendent Elaine Howard spoke on behalf of the district and did not deny the claims, but said the language used in the UIL guidelines does not prohibit the acts.

“Rules are in place for a reason, and I think this is one rule that we don't pay too much attention to because we are so engaged to make sure kids go to classes and adhere to the rules, I think it was an unfortunate oversight,” Region 15 UIL Secretary Ruben Adame told channel 5 News after the meeting.

The UIL committee did not disclose what the reprimand consists of.

After the meeting, Solis indicated that she plans to take her complaints to the state UIL committee.

On Wednesday, Brownsville Independent School District Director of Fine Arts Michael Garcia sent the following statement to Channel 5 News:

"As the Director of Fine Arts for Brownsville ISD, it is important to emphasize that throughout this process, the primary focus has been to advocate for our students and ensuring the correct procedures were followed. Transparency is important, and it was crucial to address the allegations that were brought to our attention. Our dedication to our students is steadfast, and we will continue to put their best interests at the forefront of all our efforts. Thank you for your understanding as we work through this situation together."