Harrison School for the Arts, 750 Hollingsworth Road: a Polk County public high school of choice for grades 9-12, admitted by audition. 863-499-2855.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: Polk County Public Schools, its magnet and choice schools page, the school’s website, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades and the federal NCES school directory.

Harrison School for the Arts is a Polk County Public Schools high school of choice on Hollingsworth Road, inside the Lakeland city limits. Its full name is the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. It was founded in 1989, and “enrollment is based on an audition,” according to the district’s magnet and choice schools page.

Who to call

  • Front office: 863-499-2855, 750 Hollingsworth Road, Lakeland, FL 33801
  • Box office: 863-499-2939
  • School website: harrisonarts.polkschoolsfl.com
  • Applications and auditions: the district’s Office of Acceleration and Innovation, 863-534-0631
  • Buses: district Transportation Operations, 863-534-7300; the district’s transportation page lists Harrison under its Area 6 line, 863-534-7305
Address 750 Hollingsworth Road, Lakeland, FL 33801
Phone 863-499-2855
Grades 9 to 12
Principal Gian Monacelli
Admission Audition
Zone None; districtwide choice school

Principal. Gian Monacelli is the principal, according to the school’s staff page.

Arts programs

Harrison students study in one of these disciplines, according to the district: chorus, creative writing, dance, guitar, jazz, motion picture arts, musical theater, orchestra, piano, technical theater, theater and visual arts. Students “pursue a rigorous four-year course of study that focuses on artistic development while also preparing students for postsecondary success,” the district’s page says.

The school’s home page says students are admitted by audition, take their academics through Lakeland High and come from throughout Polk County. It also says the Arts Schools Network has recognized Harrison as an “Exemplary School.”

Enrollment and teachers

The federal NCES directory has no separate entry for Harrison, and neither the school’s website nor the district’s listing publishes its enrollment. Its neighbor, Lakeland High School at 726 Hollingsworth Road, had 1,985 students in 2024-25.

State report card

Harrison does not appear on its own in the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. Because its students take academics through Lakeland High, their results are part of Lakeland High’s report card, which earned a B in 2026 with 62% of possible points and a 95% graduation rate for 2024-25. Florida grades schools A to F on the share of possible points earned on state tests, learning gains, graduation and college and career acceleration.

How admission works

No Lakeland address is zoned for Harrison. Under the district’s magnet and choice rules:

  • Families apply during the district’s open enrollment period for magnet and choice schools; questions go to the Office of Acceleration and Innovation, 863-534-0631.
  • For Harrison, the district bases enrollment on an audition.
  • The district provides bus service to magnet and choice students who live 2 miles or more from the school.
  • An acceptance appears in the Parent Portal, and families have 10 working days to accept or decline the seat.
  • Accepting a seat removes the student from every other waiting pool, including other magnet and choice schools and career academies.

Rising freshmen who do not apply for a choice program enroll at their zoned high school. The School Board approved new high school attendance boundaries on Jan. 27, 2026, effective this school year, the district announced; check your zoned school on the district’s Address Zoning tool.

Calendar and bell times

From the district’s 2026-27 calendar (PDF), which the district labels tentative:

  • Friday, Oct. 16: no school for students
  • Friday, Oct. 30: early dismissal
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
  • Nov. 23-27: fall break
  • Monday, Dec. 21: winter break begins; students return Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027

Bell times. School hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the first bell at 6:55 a.m.; the office is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the school’s about page.

Sports and activities

Harrison is not listed in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s 2026-27 football classifications. The school lists a box office line, 863-499-2939, and sells event tickets through its website. For Friday night games across Lakeland, see our Friday night football page and scoreboard.

More on Lakeland schools

Frequently asked questions

How do students get into Harrison School for the Arts?

Enrollment is based on an audition, according to Polk County Public Schools. Harrison is a high school of choice for grades 9 through 12 and serves students from throughout Polk County.

Does Harrison School for the Arts have a zone?

No. Harrison is a districtwide choice school, so no address is zoned for it. Students apply and audition through the district’s magnet and choice process.

What is Harrison School for the Arts’ school grade?

Harrison does not appear on its own in Florida’s 2026 school grades file. Its students take their academic classes through Lakeland High, which earned a B, the school’s website says.

What time does Harrison School for the Arts start?

School hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the first bell at 6:55 a.m., according to the school’s website.