Bedford Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 24th year, 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.

The NAMM Foundation partners with the League of American Orchestras, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Yamaha Corporation, and the Save the Music foundation to examine and survey school districts across the nation annually. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the committee considers the structure of a district’s music program, access to lessons, concerts, community data, demographic data, participation in various festivals, competitions, teacher accreditation, and more.

Of the approximately 16,800 school districts in the US, only 738 districts qualified and were recognized this year with this status.

“Bedford Central is a fantastic and forward-thinking school district when it comes to the arts and music education,” said Music and Performing Arts Coordinator Matt Vanacoro. “Our programs are diverse and accessible to all. The strength of our instruction comes from an incredibly dedicated staff and is reflected in our student performance and experience.”