Seven Orange County school districts were recognized in April for their excellence in music education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation, a nonprofit that advances the art of music through research, philanthropy, and public service programs.
The recognized districts in Orange County were Anaheim Elementary, Anaheim Union, Capistrano Unified, Garden Grove Unified, Irvine Unified, La Habra City, and Santa Ana Unified.
Twenty school districts and 10 individual schools in Southern California out of 830 districts and 78 schools nationally were recognized.
“Music education has never been more important to unleash students’ creativity and support emotional health and well-being as they build connections through music activities,” Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of the foundation said in an April 18 press release.
A 2019 study by the Arts Education Data Project—an arm of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education—found over 5 million children in the U.S. do not have access to music or arts education.
In San Diego County, the following school districts were awarded the distinction: Carlsbad Unified, Chula Vista Elementary Unified, San Diego Unified, and San Marcos Unified.
Six Los Angeles County school districts were recognized: Beverly Hills, El Monte, Culver City Unified, Charter Oak Unified, San Gabriel Unified, and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified.
Six schools in Orange County also received the SupportMusic Merit Award, which acknowledges schools for their dedication to quality music education: Ethel Dwyer Middle School, Huntington Beach; Fountain Valley Yamaha Music Academy, Fountain Valley; Golden Hill School for Creative and Performing Arts, Fullerton; Moonlight Music Academy, Brea; Saint Norbert Catholic School, Orange; and the Yamaha Music Academy of Fullerton, Fullerton.
Other schools in surrounding counties receiving the merit award were Crown Point Junior Music Academy in San Diego, Murrieta Mesa High School in Murrieta, Ramona High School in Riverside, and Wright Middle School STEAM Magnet, and Gifted Magnet in Los Angeles.
