The next time you run in to someone who opposes new housing in Gloucester, who says “Gloucester’s public schools are at capacity - Gloucester has grown too much lately - we can’t handle any more family housing” …. tell them this:
There were 4,186 students in the Gloucester public school system in 2000. By 2010 that number had fallen to 3,372. Today student enrollment stands at 2,805.
That’s a decrease of 33% over the last 23 years. Wow.
During this same time span our overall population fell to 29,952, from 30,273 in the year 2020.
We aren’t growing. We’re shrinking. Our schools aren’t overcapacity. If anything, the opposite is true.
But housing is definitely getting more expensive here, and more difficult to find than ever before. We know we need more housing ordinary working families in Gloucester can afford.
And when it’s built rest assured, there will be plenty of space at school for the kids.
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