Parent demands accounting after Cabell Midland orchestra’s Carnegie Hall trip

Anthony Rivas, the father of a Cabell Midland High School orchestra student, told the Cabell County Board of Education on May 19 he wants “clear transparency on financial records” tied to a district orchestra trip to New York City April 16–21, 2026.

Rivas said parents were not told what funds were raised or how money was spent and alleged multiple failures during the trip, including missing breakfasts and transportation listed on the itinerary. “Due to negligence… students were forced to pay for her mistakes and carry orchestra instruments… through our hotels, through trains, all throughout New York City,” Rivas said. He told the board he believed some students were threatened with being left in Brooklyn late at night and that parents had to volunteer transport services that, he said, were not arranged through the district.

Rivas said up to $40,000 was raised for the trip and asked the district, the board and the orchestra to account for fundraising, donations and expenditures. He said he was not seeking financial compensation but requested a full accounting of where the money went and who oversaw spending.

Board members and staff told Rivas they could not call out a particular individual during his public comment but that staff members would follow up. Superintendent Tim Hardesty asked staff to collect Rivas’s contact information so the district could investigate and respond.

Why it matters: Parents’ fundraising and school‑sponsored trips involve district oversight, student safety and public trust. The board’s agreement to gather details and speak privately with Rivas signals an administrative follow‑up; the transcript records the allegations but does not include any district accounting or staff explanation of specific line‑item spending.

What the record shows: Rivas identified the trip dates and the approximate fundraising total, alleged that itinerary items (breakfasts, transportation) were not provided and said parents and students incurred additional costs and risks. The transcript shows school staff offered to talk with him after the meeting to obtain contact information and investigate.

Next steps: Board staff (Mr. Boggs and Mr. Mann, per the meeting) were asked to speak with Rivas immediately after the meeting, and the board indicated it would follow up with him.

"There’s so much that went wrong on this trip… Where did the money go?" Rivas asked during his comment, and the board replied that staff would gather his information and follow up.

Ending: The transcript records Rivas’s allegations and the board’s pledge to investigate; it does not contain documentation of the district’s financial accounting or any formal disciplinary outcome related to the trip.