Gilmanton enrollment up in early grades; trend or blip?

GILMANTON — While most small school districts in the region are struggling with the challenge of steadily declining enrollment, the kindergarten through eighth grade school here seems to be reversing that trend — though the School District's top administrator isn't sure if it's a temporary aberration or a sign of things to come.

Superintendent John Fauci said he's seen enrollment in Gilmanton fluctuate from 385 students to as high as 425 over the course of his seven years in the district. This year's enrollment, 413, is within that range, but it's the students in the youngest two grades which have been raising eyebrows. "Our number of kids in our kindergarten and first grade are definitely up over what we've seen in the past. So much so that we've added teachers."

The town's students in grade K-8 are educated in the school building on Rte. 140, midway between Gilmanton Iron Works and Four Corners. The older children are tuitioned to Gilford High School.

With the exception of fifth grade, which has 52 students, enrollment in grades two to 12 falls within the 39 to 45 range. In kindergarten, though, there are 58 students this fall, and 56 in first grade. That enrollment is too large to divide into only two classes, as there are in the rest of the elementary grades, so Gilmanton had to create a new teaching position in each of the last two years.

"We don't know if that's an abnormality or if we're looking at a trend," Fauci said. The uncertainty creates a problem during budgeting season — the district doesn't know how many teachers to include in its budget request. "I don't know what next year is going to bring," said Fauci.

If the trend continues, the district will face a bigger problem. "We don't have the room," Fauci said. To free up space for another first grade class, the Spanish teacher now teaches from a cart that she wheels from class to class, rather than have the students come to her dedicated classroom. The school can make the same adjustment with the other "special" subject teachers, such as art and music, but soon there won't be any space left to reallocate.

Despite the growth of the school, Judy McShane, a Coldwell-Banker realtor with 25 years of experience in the region, said Gilmanton homes are not an easy sell, owing mostly to the town's relatively high property tax rate. However, for particular home shoppers, Gilmanton represents a compelling combination of old-fashioned New England feel, rural scenery, safety and less hustle and bustle than even neighboring towns.

"The buyers that want to be in Gilmanton, they want to be there for a specific reason," she said. Especially for families moving from a more congested area, she imagined the setting of the school to seem particularly pastoral and safe.

The school likely seems attractive in more ways than just aesthetics. Schooldigger.com, an independent site which rates schools across the country, gives Gilmanton a score of four out of five possible stars. The website lists factors such as student performance compared to their statewide peers, low student-to-teacher ratio and low free or reduced price lunch participation (fewer poor children), and high scores on standardized tests. The beauty of Gilmanton School is more than skin-deep, it would appear.

As McShane said, "If you're moving to Gilmanton, you really love that environment, and I can see why."