Entries by Mitchell Scacchi

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Manchester considers first housing-friendly zoning changes to come from major zoning review

Despite being the main metropolitan area in the state, the City of Manchester’s zoning ordinances are surprisingly hostile to the construction of new multifamily housing. As a review of the city’s zoning ordinances championed by former Mayor Joyce Craig continues, aldermen are considering three relatively small changes unanimously approved by the Planning Board and brought […]

Manchester school spending since 2020 goes way up as enrollment falls

The Manchester school district’s proposed 2025 budget continues the city’s trend of spending more to teach fewer students.  The district is asking for $232,227,530 for its 2024–25 school year budget. That’s an increase of $49,175,526, or 26.9%, since 2020–21. Even after adjusting for inflation,* the increase is still $16,967,892.80, or 7.9%, over the last four […]

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Regulatory creep is coming for EFAs

School choice in New Hampshire has become increasingly popular, with more and more Granite State families accessing Education Tax Credit (ETC) scholarships and Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) to shop the best learning environments for their children in the state’s growing educational marketplace.  But as the program becomes more popular, the governmental instinct to impose controls […]

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New Hampshire can’t address homelessness without addressing housing regulations

The NH Coalition to End Homelessness (NHCEH) recently released The State of Homelessness in New Hampshire Annual Report 2022, and the results are understandably concerning.  According to annual Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, statewide homelessness grew from 1,382 people in 2019 to 1,605 in 2022, a 16% increase.  While sheltered homelessness (people living in shelters) increased by […]

Education entrepreneur spotlight: Heather Long of Wildcat Microschool

Editor’s note: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, educational entrepreneurship has boomed nationwide. New Hampshire has experienced significant growth in the number of entrepreneurs and innovators willing to take on the daunting challenge of building a new educational ecosystem. This year, we’re highlighting some of the people and organizations that have begun expanding the education marketplace in […]