The Governor's School for the Arts, Norfolk, VA

At a glance

School district: Governor's School for the Arts (specialized district, NCES); sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education and the school divisions of Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton County, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach
Grades served: 9-12 (per Wikipedia; NCES lists grades as not applicable for this specialized school)
School type: Regional public specialized arts school (academic-year Governor's School); half-day, tuition-free pre-professional arts program
Principal: Michelle Cihak (Executive Director, per Wikipedia; title is Executive Director rather than principal)
Established: 1987
Enrollment: 355 students
NCES school ID: 510217502231

About The Governor's School for the Arts

The Governor's School for the Arts (GSA) is a regional, tuition-free public arts program in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, established in 1987. One of Virginia's academic-year Governor's Schools, it provides conservatory-style pre-professional training to talented high school students in six departments: Dance, Instrumental Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre & Film, Visual Arts, and Vocal Music. Students attend part of the day at GSA and complete their academic coursework at their home high schools. The program is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education together with the public school divisions of Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton County, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

The school is located at 254 Granby Street in downtown Norfolk, occupying adapted early-20th-century commercial buildings, including the historic Monroe Building. Its downtown setting places it adjacent to the city's arts district and the Wells Theatre, home of the Virginia Stage Company, with which the school maintains internship ties. Because GSA is a specialized regional program rather than a diploma-granting comprehensive high school, standard state accountability metrics such as SOL pass rates, graduation rates, and accreditation status are reported through students' home high schools rather than for GSA itself.

Notable alumni

Grant Gustin· Actor (Glee, The Flash)Emmy Raver-Lampman· Broadway performer (Hamilton) and actressAdrienne Warren· Tony Award-winning Broadway actressRyan Speedo Green· Opera bass-baritone; 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions winner

Contact

Phone: (757) 451-4711
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data — School Detail (Governor's School For The Arts) — NCES School ID (510217502231), NCES District ID (5102175), address, phone, locale (City, Midsize 12), charter status (No), school status (Open); enrollment, grades, and staffing marked not applicable for this specialized school2024-2025 link ↗
Wikipedia — Governor's School for the Arts — Founding year (1987), enrollment (355, grades 9-12), arts disciplines, sponsoring divisions, Monroe Building location, Executive Director Michelle Cihak, notable alumniaccessed July 2026 link ↗
The Governor's School for the Arts — official website — Official name, address, phone, office hours, six arts disciplines, participating school divisions, tuition-free/half-day program descriptionaccessed July 2026 link ↗

Figures reflect the NCES CCD directory 2024-2025 (enrollment/staffing marked not applicable); Wikipedia and official website accessed July 2026 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

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