Polk School District Makes Top 110 List for Music Education

LAKELAND | If Bach were alive and looking for a school to attend, Polk County may be on his list.

The Polk County School District was recently named one of the 110 best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants.

“Thirty-five years ago when music teachers would get together it would be predominantly band directors for football teams,” said Frank Howes, senior director of fine arts for the district. “Now when you go to a meeting the predominant number in the audience will be elementary music teachers.”

Hundreds of teachers, school and district administrators, board members and community leaders throughout the nation participated in a web-based survey.

Beth Cummings, the district’s K-12 music resource specialist, answered questions from the association in March about funding, enrollment, student/teacher ratios, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and private music lesson participation.

Results were released earlier this month.

Having a music teacher in elementary schools and offering choral and orchestra in middle schools are some of the biggest changes in the music department Howes has seen in his 35 years with the district.

Brevard and Hillsborough were the other Florida districts among the 110 picked by the association.