- May 18, 2025
For the second year in a row, Volusia County Schools has received the "Best Communities for Music Education" designation from The NAMM Foundation for its support and commitment to music education.
Now in its 26th year, the designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students, according to a press release. Two awards are given each year: "Best Communities for Music Education" for school districts and the SupportMusic Merit Award for individual school sites.
Over 1,000 districts and individual school sites, including private and religious, were recognized.
“For the second year in a row, Volusia County Schools is thrilled and honored to receive this prestigious award celebrating our exceptional music education program,” Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said in the press release. “Music's impact on our health — emotional, physical, mental, social, and beyond — cannot be understated. We are fortunate to have outstanding music education programs all throughout VCS.”
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, VCS answered 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.
VCS offers music education for students from elementary through high school. All elementary students receive general music instruction, and as students advance, they can explore programs like band, orchestra, chorus, piano, guitar, and music theory. Advanced options like AP music theory and IB music are also available.
Volusia students also regularly perform on national and international stages, including Carnegie Hall, the London New Year’s Day Parade, and Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
