The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has revealed this year’s list of Best Communities for Music Education in the U.S. The announcement was made during last week’s National Wanna Play Music Week celebration, an annual event which highlights the importance of music education programs in schools and promotes the benefits of playing music for people of all ages and skill levels.
This year’s survey recognizes a total of 174 school districts across 30 states for their commitment to providing music education for their students. According to the NAMM Foundation, the “Best Communities” designation represents both a distinction worthy of pride and a call to action for local music education advocates to help preserve their current music education programs.
Teachers and school district administrators participated in a web-based survey to select this year’s winners. Districts were measured across curricular and programmatic criteria, as well as public support of their music programs.
The complete list of Best Communities appears below, and can also be viewed online at www.nammfoundation.org.
| Abington School District | Abington | PA |
| Acalanes High School | Lafayette | CA |
| Albion Central School District | Albion | NY |
| Ann Arbor Public Schools | Ann Arbor | MI |
| Arlington Independent School District | Arlington | TX |
| Avon Lake City School District | Avon Lake | OH |
| Baldwinsville Central School District | Baldwinsville | NY |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | Towson | MD |
| Bay Shore Union Free School District | Bay Shore | NY |
| Bay Village City School District | Bay Village | OH |
| Beachwood City Schools | Beachwood | OH |
| Bedford Central School District | Mount Kisco | NY |
| Bedford Public Schools | Temperance | MI |
| Belmont Public Schools | Belmont | MA |
| Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School | Franklin | MA |
| Berea City School District | Berea | OH |
| Bergenfield Public Schools | Bergenfield | NJ |
| Bethel Public Schools | Bethel | CT |
| Boerne Independent School District | Boerne | TX |
| Boyertown Area School District | Boyertown | PA |
| Brighton Central School District | Rochester | NY |
| Canfield Local Schools | Canfield | OH |
| Central Cambria School District | Ebensburg | PA |
| Central York School District | York | PA |
| Chesapeake Public Schools | Chesapeake | VA |
| Cheshire Public Schools | Cheshire | CT |
| Clarence Central School | Clarence | NY |
| Clark County School District | Las Vegas | NV |
| Clarkstown Central School District | New City | NY |
| Clovis Municipal Schools | Clovis | NM |
| Cobb County School District | Marietta | GA |
| Colonial Elementary School | Plymouth Meeting | PA |
| Conestoga Valley School District | Lancaster | PA |
| Connetquot Central School District | Bohemia | NY |
| Cottonwood Elementary School | Wright | WY |
| Cumberland Valley School District | Mechanicsburg | PA |
| Cuyahoga Heights Local School District | Cleveland | OH |
| David Douglas School District 40 | Portland | OR |
| Decorah Community School District | Decorah | IA |
| Denton Independent School District | Denton | TX |
| Dover Area School District | Dover | PA |
| East Meadow Union Free School District | Westbury | NY |
| Edmonds School District | Lynnwood | WA |
| Ephrata Area School District | Ephrata | PA |
| Fargo Public Schools | Fargo | ND |
| Fayetteville-Manlius Central Schools | Manlius | NY |
| Fort Bend Independent School District | Sugar Land | TX |
| Fulton County Schools | Atlanta | GA |
| Gotha Middle School | Windermere | FL |
| Great Falls Public Schools | Great Falls | MT |
| Great Neck UFSD | Great Neck | NY |
| Greenwich Public Schools | Greenwich | CT |
| Guilderland Central School District | Guilderland | NY |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools | Suwanee | GA |
| Harford County Public Schools | Bel Air | MD |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Richmond | VA |
| Herricks Union Free School District No. 9 | New Hyde Park | NY |
| Hershey Middle School | Hershey | PA |
| Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools | Woodmere | NY |
| Hidalgo Independent School District | Hidalgo | TX |
| Hilliard City School District | Hilliard | OH |
| Hilton Central School District | Hilton | NY |
| Homewood City Schools | Homewood | AL |
| Honoka’a High and Intermediate School | Honoka’a | HI |
| Hopewell Valley Regional School District | Pennington | NJ |
| Hortonville Area School District | Hortonville | WI |
| Hudson School District | Hudson | WI |
| Huntsville Independent School District | Huntsville | TX |
| Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District | Bedford | TX |
| Independent School District 279 – Osseo Area Schools | Maple Grove | MN |
| Indiana Area School District | Indiana | PA |
| Irvine Unified School District | Irvine | CA |
| Island Trees Public Schools U.S.F.D. | Levittown | NY |
| Jenison Public Schools | Jenison | MI |
| Jericho Union Free School District | Jericho | NY |
| Johnson City Central School District | Johnson City | NY |
| Katy Independent School District | Katy | TX |
| Klein Independent School District | Klein | TX |
| Lawrence Township School District | Lawrenceville | NJ |
| Lee County Schools | Opelika | AL |
| LeRoy Central School | LeRoy | NY |
| Liverpool Central School District | Liverpool | NY |
| Longwood Central School District | Yaphank | NY |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | Ashburn | VA |
| Lower Merion School District | Ardmore | PA |
| Lynn Public Schools | Lynn | MA |
| Manhasset Public Schools | Manhasset | NY |
| Massapequa Union Free School District #23 | Massapequa | NY |
| Memphis City Schools | Memphis | TN |
| Metuchen Public Schools | Metuchen | NJ |
| Midway Independent School District | Waco | TX |
| Millard Public Schools | Omaha | NE |
| Milpitas High School | Milpitas | CA |
| Mineola Union Free School District | Mineola | NY |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Christiansburg | VA |
| Monticello Central School District | Monticello | NY |
| Mount Lebanon School District | Pittsburgh | PA |
| Nanuet Union Free School District | Nanuet | NY |
| New Hartford Central School District | New Hartford | NY |
| Newfield Elementary School | Newfield | NY |
| Newtown Public Schools | Newtown | CT |
| North Allegheny School District | Pittsburgh | PA |
| North Babylon Union Free School District | North Babylon | NY |
| Northport East Northport Union Free School District | Northport | NY |
| Northwest Independent School District | Justin | TX |
| Northwestern Elementary | New Tripoli | PA |
| Nutley Public School District | Nutley | NJ |
| Oceanside Public School District | Oceanside | NY |
| Olmsted Falls City Schools | Olmsted Falls | OH |
| Open Door Christian Schools | Elyria | OH |
| Oppenheim-Ephratah Central School | St. Johnsville | NY |
| Osage County R-II Schools | Linn | MO |
| Paramus Board of Education | Paramus | NJ |
| Pasadena Independent School District | Pasadena | TX |
| Pasco School District #1 | Pasco | WA |
| Pendleton School District 16R | Pendleton | OR |
| Pennsbury School District | Fairless Hills | PA |
| Pequannock Township School District | Pompton Plains | NJ |
| Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools | Perrysburg | OH |
| Pine City Public Schools (Independent School District #578) | Pine City | MN |
| Pittsford Central School District | Pittsford | NY |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District | Placentia | CA |
| Plano Independent School District | Plano | TX |
| Plymouth Canton Educational Park | Canton | MI |
| Plymouth Community High School | Plymouth | IN |
| Port Jefferson School District | Port Jefferson | NY |
| Potsdam Central School District | Potsdam | NY |
| Princeton City Schools | Cincinnati | OH |
| Propel East | Turtle Creek | PA |
| Putnam Valley Central School District | Putnam Valley | NY |
| Quaker Valley School District | Sewickley | PA |
| Randolph Township School District | Randolph | NJ |
| Ridgewood Public Schools | Ridgewood | NJ |
| Roanoke County Public Schools | Roanoke | VA |
| Royalton-Hartland Central School District | Middleport | NY |
| Rush-Henrietta Central School District | West Henrietta | NY |
| San Diego Unified School District | San Diego | CA |
| Santa Monica-Malibu USD | Santa Monica | CA |
| Sayville Public Schools | W Sayville | NY |
| Scarsdale Public Schools | Scarsdale | NY |
| School District of La Crosse | La Crosse | WI |
| Shaker Heights City School District | Shaker Heights | OH |
| Shaw Visual and Performing Arts Elementary | Saint Louis | MO |
| Simsbury Public Schools | Simsbury | CT |
| South Huntington Union Free School District | Huntington Station | NY |
| Spokane Public Schools | Spokane | WA |
| State College Area School District | State College | PA |
| Stow-Munroe Falls City School District | Stow | OH |
| Syosset Central School District | Syosset | NY |
| The School Board of Polk County, Florida | Bartow | FL |
| The School District of Hillsborough County, Florida | Tampa | FL |
| The Sycamore Community School District | Cincinnati | OH |
| The Troy School District | Troy | MI |
| Torrington Public Schools | Torrington | CT |
| Township of Union Public Schools | Union | NJ |
| Trinity Area School District | Washington | PA |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | Virginia Beach | VA |
| Wappingers Central School District | Wappingers Falls | NY |
| Washington County Public Schools | Hagerstown | MD |
| Washoe County School District | Reno | NV |
| Wayland Public Schools | Wayland | MA |
| Webb Bridge Middle School | Alpharetta | GA |
| Webster Central School District | Webster | NY |
| West Genesee Central School District | Camillus, | NY |
| West Hartford Public Schools | West Hartford | CT |
| West Irondequoit Central School District | Rochester | NY |
| West Lafayette Community School Corporation | West Lafayette | IN |
| West Milford Township Public Schools | West Milford | NJ |
| Westborough Public Schools | Westborough | MA |
| Weston Public Schools | Weston | MA |
| Willard R-II Schools | Willard | MO |
| Williamsport Area School District | Williamsport | PA |
| Williamsville Central School District | East Amherst | NY |
| Woodside School | Woodside | CA |
ksurmacewicz