Given housing woes, no wonder Newton school enrollment is dropping

Newton’s public schools could cut as many as 74 positions next year amid declining enrollment and a projected $5.2 million budget shortfall.Camila Beiner for The Boston Globe

As a graduate of Newton South High School and a third-generation Newtonite, I’m disappointed that the city’s land use policies continue to make it difficult for young families to call Newton home (“Newton schools may cut 74 positions,” Metro, March 10). While state legislation such as the recently passed Housing Choice bill and efforts by local advocates are moving things in the right direction, it remains easier to build a new McMansion than a duplex or fourplex, let alone an apartment building, in most of Newton. With housing prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder that enrollment at Newton Public Schools is dropping. I hope local policy makers will keep working to make Newton a more inclusive city.

Cliff Bargar

San Francisco