For the 14th consecutive year, IUSD has received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. IUSD is one of only three districts in the state to receive this honor for 14 consecutive years, and the only district in Orange County with the longest history of this recognition.
The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. This year, only 935 school districts nationwide received this prestigious honor for their commitment to music and education.
"IUSD leadership and I continue to be inspired by the ingenuity of our teachers and the resilience of our students,” commented IUSD Director of Arts Education Erin Zoumaras. “Our District has made an unwavering commitment to arts and music education. We believe they are an essential part of preparing students for college and career and we are proud to offer robust programming for all of our students.”
Zoumaras also recognized and thanked the Irvine Company and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation for their generous support of the District’s visual and performing arts programming, which benefits thousands of students each year.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, IUSD answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by the leading arts educational research firm, WolfBrown.
To learn more about the arts and music education in IUSD, visit the Arts IUSD webpage.