Cal High Names Iron Horse Principal Demetrius Ball As New Leader

SAN RAMON, CA — The San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education appointed Demetrius Ball, the current principal of Iron Horse Middle School, as principal of California High School.

On Friday, Ball replaced Megan Keefer, who announced her resignation as Cal High principal on June 15. Keefer will return in the fall to Cal High as an English teacher, her former position, DanvilleSanRamon.com reported. Keefer resigned amid an ongoing controversy related to a controversial social media post showing the school’s cheer team with a dark-skinned mannequin. Neither Keefer nor the district have linked the controversy to her resignation.

“There are a number of new administrative appointments and transfers across the district, as is typical for this time of year. Megan Keefer has requested to return to the classroom and stay in our district, and that is going to be honored,” SRVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Keith Rogenski told Danville/San Ramon.

The SVRUSD board approved Ball in a special closed meeting last week, the district told families in an email. Ball has served as Iron Horse Middle School principal since 2019, according to the district. He also lives in San Ramon with his wife and children, who attend Iron Horse and Twin Creeks Elementary School.

Before Iron Horse, Ball served as assistant principal of Dougherty Valley High School for three years. He served as assistant head of school at Vincent Academy in Oakland, and has taught social studies in Tracy, California, and in Maryland. Before becoming an educator, Ball served as a U.S. Army Captain.

Ball holds a B.S. degree in Human and Regional Geography from the U.S. Military Academy, a masters in secondary education from the University of Phoenix, and is currently working on his doctorate in instructional design and technology from Liberty University, according to the district.
"I'm truly blessed for the next step in my educational leadership journey as I join @calhighgrizzlies this fall as principal!” Ball tweeted Friday. “Thank you to my @ihmsjaguars family for allowing me to serve you the last three years!"

Ball will serve as Cal High’s fourth principal since 2014, according to Danville/San Ramon.