FAQ
Will Building New Homes Will Overwhelm Our School System?
Look at the data and draw your own conclusions!
Haverhill’s School Enrollment Is Flat
According to Haverhill’s 2025 Housing Production Plan (HPP) draft:
“Enrollment in Haverhill Public Schools has been essentially flat over the past decade.”
That’s despite the construction of over 2,500 new homes in Haverhill since 2000.
See the data yourself:
This Is a Regional Trend: Student Enrollment Is Falling
According to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), school enrollment across Greater Boston is projected to decline over the next decade, even with housing growth.
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In fact, MAPC reports: “School districts are facing steep enrollment losses even in communities that are actively building housing.”
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Between 2017 and 2022, K–12 enrollment dropped by over 37,000 students across Massachusetts, largely due to falling birthrates and an aging population—not housing development.
See the data yourself:
Most New Homes Add Very Few Students
New housing—especially apartments, condos, and small homes—adds far fewer students per unit than many expect. The 2024 New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority report looked at 8,000+ new housing units across 19 communities and found:
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“The vast majority of new housing units added only a small number of students to local schools.”
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In several towns, housing growth was accompanied by school enrollment decline.
See the data yourself:
New Housing Brings Revenue, Not Just Students
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New homes generate property taxes, which help fund schools and other city services. Compact, walkable development is more cost-efficient to service than sprawling subdivisions.
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The Massachusetts Housing Partnership notes that adding housing in areas with existing infrastructure is both fiscally and environmentally smart.
See the data yourself:
Bottom Line
The fear that building more homes will flood Haverhill’s schools with students is not supported by data.
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Enrollment is flat
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Regional trends show fewer school-aged children
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New homes—especially smaller ones—add very few students
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Housing growth supports school funding through taxes
We can build more homes and still have strong schools. In fact, it’s how we keep our community thriving.