About The Governor’s Academy: Independent School in MA

Bright, bold, and ambitious students have been learning and growing at The Governor’s Academy, the oldest boarding school in New England, for over 250 years. Located in Byfield, Massachusetts, thirty-three miles north of Boston and five miles south of Newburyport, our independent school’s expansive campus is bordered by the Parker River and the Great Marsh.

The Governor's Academy is an open, optimistic learning community filled with life-changing opportunities. Students in ninth through twelfth grade learn and grow at Governor’s in our classrooms, studios, theaters, fields, and courts. Surrounded by friends and teachers, our students discover and develop their passions across academics, arts, and athletics, and achieve excellence.

With a history as long and rich as ours, traditions at Governor’s create a lasting bond between generations of students, faculty, and staff. Whether you remember delivering a Chapel Talk, hosting the Special Olympics Soccer Tournament, enjoying the Holiday Feast after the Candlelight Service, laughing with friends on a Saturday night at Mansion House, or jumping the wall at Commencement, these memories last a lifetime. It's in these traditions—experienced together—that the spirit of our school comes to life.

OUR NEXT BOLD MOMENT
We began With True Courage: The Campaign for Governor’s with the most ambitious fundraising goal in the school’s history: $75 million. Over the past four years, more than 4,000 members of the Govs community – from around the world, in gifts of all sizes – have responded. Their generosity has been transformative. Now we’re saying: Let’s go further. Thanks to a visionary challenge grant, we’ve set a bold new goal: $100 million by the end of 2023. As we strive toward our new goal, we are focused on four essential priorities: Alfond Environmental Studies Center and Bass Institute, faculty excellence, financial aid, and The Governor’s Fund.  

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

Head of School

Had I not attended an independent boarding school, my educational and personal goals would have been radically different, in large part because it was my experience at the Academy that opened my eyes to new possibilities.

Dr. Peter H. Quimby ‘85, P'14, former deputy dean of the college at Princeton University, began his tenure as twenty-eighth Head of School of The Governor’s Academy on July 1, 2011.