NANTUCKET – The fastest-growing county in the Commonwealth is also seeing a large growth in its student population.
Over the last 5 years, Nantucket public schools have seen their number of students expand from 1,200 to 1,500.
Superintendent Michael Cozort said there’s a reason for Nantucket’s growth.
“One thing that we have seen is more and more people are choosing to live here year round instead of just working during the summer months because what we call our shoulder season has grown.” Cozort said.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released estimates showing that Nantucket’s population rose 2.7 percent from July of 2013 to July of 2014, by far the highest rate in the state over that time period.
Cozort said the expansion is not uncommon.
“One might argue that [Nantucket] is returning to its roots,” Cozort said. “In the whaling era we were one of the most cosmopolitan towns in the world, and we are sort of reverting to that heritage.”
Nantucket schools also feature over 200 English language learners from El Salvadore, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Cozort said the issue of a new intermediate school to handle the growing population will be before voters at Town Meeting on April 6.
