For the 15 year in a row, the School District of Lancaster has received national recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education from The NAMM Foundation. This distinction places us among a select group of over 1,000 districts and schools across the United States who have made a clear and consistent effort to provide accessible, high-quality music education for all students.
Each year, the NAMM Foundation evaluates participating districts on a comprehensive set of criteria including music class participation, funding, graduation requirements, instructional time, teacher credentials, community partnerships, and support structures for music-making. Responses are reviewed by the respected arts research firm WolfBrown and validated by school officials making the award not just symbolic, but substantial.
To earn this designation once is an accomplishment. To receive it 15 years in a row reflects a consistent and intentional district-wide commitment from school board members to building leaders, from families to Fine and Performing Arts staff to ensure that music education remains not just available, but fully embedded in the educational experience.
And while this award honors the collective, it’s built on the individual efforts of educators like Adonica Spolum, who teaches music at Ross Elementary. Ms. Spolum directed an outstanding production of The Little Mermaid just days ago, a production that drew community-wide attention including coverage from WGAL. What made her work particularly moving is not just the show itself, but the fact that she has continued to pour her energy into her students and her craft while managing significant health challenges. Her dedication is one example of the quiet leadership and passion that shapes our classrooms every day.
McCaskey High School took center stage and made history at the 17th Annual Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards, held at the Giant Center in Hershey. In their first year ever participating in the regional competition, McCaskey’s spring musical production of The Wedding Singer emerged as one of the evening’s biggest winners earning a total of six awards, including the highly coveted Outstanding Musical of the Year!
In SDoL, music is a part of how students connect to themselves, to one another, and to their culture. It supports emotional wellness. It strengthens academic skills. It provides a space for expression, risk-taking, and identity. From kindergarteners learning rhythm through clapping games to high school students composing original scores, our music programs are integrated into the educational fabric of our schools.
We’re also proud of how our music educators continue to adapt and grow. They partner with local arts organizations, bring students into public performance spaces, and foster relationships with community musicians who expand the range of what’s possible in the classroom. They advocate for the tools and resources their students need, even in the face of budget challenges or competing demands on the school day. And to every family who cheered from the audience, recognizing the beauty of what these young musicians are building together.
Congratulations to our music educators, our students, and our community for continuing to build something meaningful one note, one rehearsal, and one performance at a time.