100 Best Communities for Music Education - 2003 Results Announced

The American Music Conference (AMC), a non-profit group dedicated to promoting music education and appreciation, has just released its 2003 list of the Top 100 school systems for music education.

According to the AMC, "Music is an indispensable part of every child’s education." State and local education budgets have been cut recently, and music education is being rolled back in communities across the US, but there are still "100 best" places in the nation to learn about music. Working in conjunction with other music advocates and educators, the AMC identified those communities by surveying people throughout America about public and private music education in their local areas.

This year's list includes two public school systems near the center of our home base of Atlanta, Georgia. The Fulton Country and Dekalb County school districts are the only Georgia representatives on this year's list, which includes communities in 30 US states.

In addition to the AMC, other organizations involved in this year's survey were: MENC: the National Assn. for Music Education; the Music Teachers National Assn.; the National School Boards Assn.; web survey firm Perseus Development Corp.; the VH1 Save the Music Foundation; and Yamaha Corp. of America

Read the AMC's announcement 

The 2003 List: 100 Best Communities for Music Education
(alphabetical by state, then town):
AR (Van Buren) Van Buren Public Schools
CA (Laguna Beach) Laguna Beach Unified School Dist.
CA (San Juan Capistrano) Capistrano Unified School Dist.
CA (Woodside) Woodside School Dist.
CT (Torrington) Torrington School Dist.
FL (Tampa) School Dist. Of Hillsborough County Florida
GA (Atlanta) Fulton County Schools
GA (Decatur) DeKalb County School System
IA (Aurelia) Aurelia Community School
IA (Nevada) Nevada Community School Dist.
IL (Lombard) Lombard School Dist. 44
IL (Oak Park) Oak Park Elem. School Dist. 97
IN (Lafayette) Tippecanoe School Corporation
KS (Andover) Andover Unified School Dist. Number 385
KS (Olathe) Olathe Dist. Schools
KY (Lexington) Fayette County Public Schools
MA (North Chelmsford) Chelmsford Public Schools
MA (Northborough) Northborough-Southborough Schools
MI (Battle Creek) Battle Creek Public Schools
MI (Birmingham) Birmingham Public School Dist.
MI (Cadillac) Cadillac Area Public Schools
MI (Dearborn) Dearborn Public Schools
MI (Monroe) Monroe Public Schools
MI (Saline) Saline Area Schools
MI (South Haven) South Haven Public Schools
MN (Buffalo) Buffalo ISD 877
MN (Luverne) Luverne Dist. 2184
MO (Cape Girardeau) Cape Girardeau School Dist. #63
MO (Linn) Osage County R-II
MS (Oxford) Oxford School Dist.
MT (Big Timber) Big Timber Grade School
ND (Edgeley) Edgeley Public School
ND (Fargo) Fargo Public Schools
ND (Grand Forks) Grand Forks Public School Dist. #1
NE (Grant) Grant Public Schools
NJ (Bergenfield) Bergenfield Boro Schools
NJ (East Brunswick) East Brunswick Public Schools
NJ (Madison) Madison Public Schools
NJ (Randolph) Randolph Twp. Schools
NJ (Summit) Summit Public Schools
NJ (Trenton) Chesterfield Twp. Elem. School
NM (Clovis) Clovis Municipal Schools
NY (Baldwin) Baldwin Union Free School Dist.
NY (Bay Shore) Bay Shore Union Free School Dist.
NY (Brentwood) Brentwood Union Free School Dist.
NY (Centereach) Middle Country Central School Dist.
NY (Deer Park) Deer Park Union Free School Dist.
NY (Garnerville) North Rockland Central School Dist.
NY (Greenlawn) Harborfields Central School Dist.
NY (Hamburg) Frontier Central School Dist.
NY (Huntington Station) South Huntington Union Free School Dist.
NY (Jericho) Jericho Union Free School Dist.
NY (Johnson City) Johnson City Central School Dist.
NY (Johnstown) Greater Johnstown School Dist.
NY (Manlius) Fayetteville-Manlius Central Schools
NY (Massapequa) Massapequa School Dist.
NY (Middleport) Royalton-Hartland CSD
NY (New City) Clarkstown Central School Dist.
NY (New Hyde Park) Herricks Union Free School Dist. # 9
NY (North Babylon) North Babylon Union Free School Dist.
NY (Northport) Northport-East Northport UFSD
NY (Ossining) Ossining Union Free School Dist.
NY (Pittsford) Pittsford Central Schools
NY (Rochester) Gates-Chili CSD
NY (Rochester) West Irondequoit Central School Dist.
NY (Sayville) Sayville Public Schools
NY (Schenectady) Schalmont Central School Dist.
NY (Smithtown) Smithtown Central School Dist.
NY (Syosset) Syosset Central School Dist.
NY (Webster) Webster Central School Dist.
NY (Westbury) East Meadow Public Schools
OH (Avon Lake) Avon Lake City Schools
OH (Bay Village) Bay Village City Schools
OH (Beachwood) Beachwood City Schools
OH (Berea) Berea City Schools
OH (Solon) Solon City Schools
OK (Norman) Norman Public Schools
OR (La Grande) La Grande School Dist.
OR (West Linn) West Linn-Wilsonville School Dist. 3
PA (Ambridge) Ambridge Area School Dist.
PA (Fallsington) Pennsbury School Dist.
PA (Fleetwood) Fleetwood Area School Dist.
PA (Hershey) Derry Twp. School Dist.
PA (State College) State College Area School Dist.
PA (Williamsport) Williamsport Area School Dist.
SD (Hartford) West Central Dist. 49-7
TX (Flower Mound) Lewisville Ind. School Dist.
TX (Haltom City) Birdville Ind. School Dist.
TX (Humble) Humble Ind. School Dist.
TX (Katy) Katy Ind. School Dist.
TX (League City) Clear Creek Ind. School Dist.
TX (Munday) Munday Ind. School Dist.
TX (Plano) Plano Ind. School Dist.
TX (Richardson) Richardson ISD
TX (Waco) Midway Ind. School Dist.
VA (Richmond) Henrico County Public Schools
VA (Roanoke) Roanoke County Public Schools
WA (Endicott) Endicott School Dist.
WA (Pasco) Pasco School Dist.
WY (Sheridan) Sheridan County School Dist. Number 2