Principal: Dr. Jackie Tobias (lorna_tobias@dpsnc.net)
Twitter Feed: @LjackieT         
Address: 400 North Duke Street Durham NC 27701
Phone : 919-560-3926
Hours of Operation : 8:00AM - 3:30 PM
Enrollment : 1,750


About Dr. Jackie Tobias:

I was born and raised on the island of Jamaica. My family migrated to Florida and I attended to the University of Florida. I am a die-hard Gator Fan. I received Bachelors, Masters, and Specialist degrees in education from the University of Florida. In addition, I have a Masters in school administration from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. I also have a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Gardner Webb University. I am also National Board Certified. Being an educator is my passion and I truly love being a part of molding and changing the lives of students and adults. It is my pleasure to serve DSA family. Our goal is to challenge students intellectually, grow them socially, and guide them toward independent thinking and problem-solving. Our school’s mission is to challenge students through rigorous and excellence in both performing and visual arts. I encourage students to demonstrate the best of themselves every moment of every day and to make positive contributions to the groups and organizations to which they belong. We strive to instill DSA’s student body with a sense of personal pride as well as collective pride in and love for our school. Our mission is not only to educate each student but also to better prepare him or her for the world beyond High School. My personal philosophy is that it “takes a whole village to raise a child.” We as a family have made much growth and we will continue to strive for excellence in all areas. Our continued growth and improvement have served to reinforce our belief that when the community and school work together, high expectations for student achievement will be recognized. I am very proud that we graduate our students and prepare them for life after high school. When you have questions about the school, please feel free to contact me or any other member of our school staff.

Durham School of the Arts first opened in 1995 and is housed in the former Durham High School building, which opened in 1922 and closed as a traditional high school in 1993.  Our campus is expansive, covering three city blocks and includes eight separate buildings.  Approximately 1,655 students from all parts of Durham County are enrolled in grades 6 thru 12.  All students enroll through a lottery application system since DSA has no specific attendance zone and over 2,000 students apply for open positions yearly. Since both students and staff have elected to be at DSA, we feel it is both an honor and a privilege for all of us to be a part of this learning community.  That is one of the reasons that DSA is the most successful school in our district both academically and artistically.    

School Facts

• Enrollment: 1,835
• Grades 6 - 12
• 130+ teachers
• 6 school counselors

What is unique?

DSA is an active and dynamic center for arts and academic education.  School life at DSA is based on our shared culture of success and an emphasis on tolerance, diversity, personal responsibility, and respect for individual differences. 

We are a school like no other. Durham School of the Arts (DSA) is a magnet school founded on the premise of providing our students with an education focused on excellence in the visual and performing arts and rigorous academics.  We believe that since our students are both participants and consumers of the arts, they will be better educated and more informed citizens.  As a result, we expect our students to be the leaders and intellectuals of tomorrow. 

DSA partners with top tier institutions, such as the Durham Performing Arts Center, Duke University and the American Dance Festival, to expose our students to high-caliber guest artists who provide workshops and master classes. 

Concentration Areas: 

After DSA:

DSA has launched students for full-time study in the visual and performing arts at the following schools and programs in North Carolina and all over the United States: 

Ntianu Nkenge, Magnet Coordinator
Ntianu.nkenge@dpsnc.net
919-560-3926; ext. 23229