Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton confirms the current third- through fifth-grade instructional model will remain intact.
Facing strong pushback from concerned SMMUSD parents, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has abandoned a controversial proposal that would have eliminated fourth-grade instrumental music instruction, placed fifth graders in larger groups for musical instruction, with only three teachers to instruct 1,500 students for the upcoming academic year.
Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton announced the reversal in a community message, confirming that the district will maintain its existing elementary music structure for the 2026–2027 school year. The decision preserves the current third- through fifth-grade curriculum and retains the nine specialized music teachers currently staffing the program.
The administration’s about-face follows a swift community mobilization that included a Change.org petition that secured more than 1,000 signatures from families protesting potential cuts to the performing arts curriculum. Parents pointed out that delaying instrumental music instruction could have a chilling effect on the SMMUSD’s excellent music program and students who might not have enough time to develop their skills.
According to Shelton, keeping the established framework in place will offer stability to both students and faculty. The pause also buys the district time to evaluate future program expansions and test potential modifications over the next year.
To initiate that planning process, the elementary music faculty is scheduled to hold a series of daylong workshops this June to discuss the long-term trajectory of the district’s music programming.
