We’re proud to share that the South Huntington School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for the second year in a row.  The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded only to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.

The NAMM Foundation considers K-12 schools and districts throughout the U.S. for this award and offers opportunities to increase awareness and support for music programs. Only about 1,000 districts and individual school sites (public, private, charter, parochial) were recognized for having the highest commitment to producing exceptional music programs.  In bestowing the honor on South Huntington, The NAMM Foundation noted “Your collective efforts – teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders – have been instrumental in making music part of a well-rounded education for every child.  We applaud your community’s unwavering commitment to creating an environment where each child can learn and grow with music.”

With a robust K-12 arts curriculum spanning music, dance, theater, and visual arts, South Huntington students are empowered to explore their creativity and develop skills that support both academic and artistic excellence.

Our comprehensive programs include a 4–12 instrumental and choral music program with award-winning ensembles, a dynamic 8–12 dance curriculum, and theater productions across all grade levels. Elective offerings such as AP Art, music production, ceramics, and photography provide students with diverse avenues for creative expression. Extra-curricular activities like jazz band, marching band, and recording studio clubs further enrich the student experience.

“It seems innate in everybody that there’s some form of connection to the arts,” said Mr. Matt Hoffman who is the district’s Chairperson of Music, Art and Dance for grades 7 through 12.  “So having an opportunity to study it in a formal way through a school system is a great gift. I've seen it to be true that by training in a performance setting, you learn discipline, you learn responsibility, you learn being accountable to a team larger than yourself.  And so it translates really well into any public speaking, business, working on teams, you know, things like that.  And that can benefit every student.” 

To qualify for the Best Communities for Music designation, South Huntington 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. 

Walt Whitman High School is one of only a few schools that continue to offer dance courses in its arts curriculum. The Whitman Dance Program is a NYS accredited dance program and meets all NYS Standards for the Arts. Two of the four dance courses offered provide Art Credit for the Regents diploma. Whitman’s dance educator Dr. Susan Radin believes the arts allow students to challenge themselves. “You're always pushing yourself out of your comfort zone into new realms of creativity, and developing self-esteem. And you don't get that from sitting behind a desk and turning in work and staring at a screen. You only get that through that live, interactive, and challenging experience that dance and theater provide you,” explained Dr. Radin. 

The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry. The foundation works to remove systemic barriers that limit access to music-making and career pathways in the music industry. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit The NAMM Foundation website here.