Frisco ISD has been chosen as a top community for Music Education in the nation according to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, making this the sixth consecutive year FISD has been awarded the honor. 

“This is a tremendous achievement that recognizes the work of our exceptional music teachers,” Frisco ISD Managing Director of Fine Arts Pete Hazzard said in a FISD news release.

The award is presented to districts which the NAMM believes exemplify the standards of music education by taking into account different angles such as funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instructional time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs.

“The rigorous selection process takes into account not just what is being done in the classroom, but how it is accomplished and, more importantly, why strong support exists in the community,” Hazard said. 

The distinction does not come as a surprise for Redhawk choir director Toni Ugolini.

“We are working in a place where the community, the administration, and the students value what we do,” Ugolini said. “I see that music is valued. Other places where I have worked, we are set apart from the ‘normal’ teachers and it’s not that way in Frisco, which is really nice. We are viewed as equitable and just as appreciated as any other class.”