The high cost of operating our small elementary schools is driven by an imbalance between capacity and enrollment. We’ve voted on cutting capacity by closing schools, and voters have made clear that’s not where they want to go.  It’s time to focus on building enrollment – and the tax base – in our small towns by building more homes.

Across the ConVal district, we average about 10 elementary school students (pre-K through fourth grade) for every 110 homes. If, for example, over the next 10 years, Bennington added 150 new homes, this would likely result in the enrollment of 13 to 15 new elementary school students. Each additional K-4 student would bring in several thousand dollars of state funding.

Additionally, every one of those 150 new homes would be contributing school property taxes, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenue. And, because we have the capacity to educate those students in existing classrooms and without hiring additional teachers, there would be minimal expense.

Some of you may be skeptical that this level of growth is possible. But in fact, right now is probably the best opportunity we’ve had in decades to grow our population. Between 2025 and 2035, New Hampshire’s population is projected to grow from 1.43 million to 1.5 million. More importantly, the population ages 5 to 9 is projected to grow at an even faster rate, increasing from 66,338 to 77,919.

There is every reason to believe that we can attract a significant number of those new families to our towns. We have safe and scenic communities with good schools. We have plenty of local job opportunities in a variety of fields, and we’re ideally positioned to take advantage of the boom in remote work. Although housing prices have risen locally in recent years, they have skyrocketed in major metropolitan areas like Boston and Portsmouth. For young families unable to afford homes in major metro areas and employed in jobs that now allow for remote work, ConVal communities are a great option.

In fact, this shift is already well underway. As a parent of ConVal district pre-K students, I’ve met a lot of young families, and I can confirm that many of them are recent arrivals and/or have at least one parent working remotely. In Peterborough, where I am an elected member of the town Planning Board, construction of already-approved projects will create more than 300 new housing units in just the next two to three years, and the numerous proposals for additional projects confirms that demand remains strong.

We also know that housing demand is regional. We all live in great towns, and someone moving to the area for a new job (or with a remote work position) is just as likely to look for a new home in Greenfield or Hancock as they are to look in Peterborough.

Now, Peterborough is bigger than our other ConVal communities, and we wouldn’t expect other towns to build as much as we are here. But consider the following -- the new housing already approved here in Peterborough will increase the number of homes in our town by 10%. If over the next several years, every town in the ConVal district built a proportionate amount of new housing, it would generate several million dollars annually in new local school tax revenue.

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What our small towns need to transform this demand for new housing into the reality of new homes is zoning reform. I know first-hand that zoning reform can be contentious. However, I also know that with well-considered reform, our small towns can add new homes in a manner that protects the environment and the rural character of our communities. And by bringing new residents and more school tax revenue, new construction will also ensure the viability of schools and reduce the tax burden on all residents. It’s a win for existing residents and for new families.

To make this a reality, it will take volunteers to help Planning Board members develop new zoning regulations. Meetings to consider feedback and refine proposals. Conversations with neighbors to build support. If people get involved, we can build the housing we need to ensure the viability of our cherished community schools.

Gary Gorski is a Peterborough Planning Board member. He will be a speaker during the “Where Does the ConVal School District Go From Here?” Community Conversation April 10 at 7 p.m. in Bass Hall at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture in Peterborough. The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript and Monadnock Center are sponsoring the event.