Once again, the Amherst Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation in 2022 from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Amherst was one of 738 school districts across 44 states recognized for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children. 

This year researchers at The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas, in conjunction with The NAMM Foundation, created a new way for districts and schools to address the inroads and setbacks impacted by the pandemic, as well as goals for equity and access to music education for all students and national standards for music education in a short, qualitative survey.

Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. Amherst has received the designation five times in the last six years. Amherst’s application was submitted with input from all music teachers, and included information about the ways the district was able to sustain music education and student engagement throughout the pandemic, as well as information on class sizes, budget, instrumental, choral, and general music curricular offerings, staffing, daily, weekly, and monthly instructional time.