В Северной Дакоте запускают программу строительства жилья для восстановления численности учеников в школе

EMERADO — When Cassie Riewer came to Emerado last year, she noticed the lack of enrollment at Emerado Public School. She had just started her role as superintendent, but quickly decided the low numbers were not due to the quality of the schooling but rather the availability of housing. The Emerado Public School District had 94 students enrolled between 2025 and 2026, the lowest enrollment in nearly 10 years. Riewer wanted to make a difference and help push that number back up. ADVERTISEMENT “It’s truly a reflection of the lack of housing in Emerado. By fixing the housing, families will come and our school is ready for them. We just need housing in the community,” she said. Now, Riewer, state Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, and the Red River Regional Council are working toward finding solutions for the community. It's early in the process, but the RRRC hopes a master plan will be developed in the future. Lisa Rotvold, executive director of the Red River Community Housing Development Organization and part of the Red River Regional Council, describes it as “turning over stones to find resources that we might be able to bring to Emerado.” She believes opportunity exists with nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base and the GrandSky business park. It’s a matter of seeing past just Grand Forks and shining a light on opportunities elsewhere in Grand Forks County. “Obviously, a lot is going to go to the city of Grand Forks because they are strong, they are right there and it's a desirable community. But it could also be an opportunity for towns like Emerado or even Larimore and Northwood. The rural lifestyle and smaller schools can be attractive to a lot of people,” she said. Getting people engaged got the ball rolling in Emerado. When Riewer had concerns, she reached out to Meyer. Meyer and Riewer believe there is potential within a community so close to the air base. ADVERTISEMENT “We got this group of people together to just talk about the options. How do we get this rolling? When we work together and we get others engaged, you sense there are people out there who believe Emerado can really become something bigger,” Riewer said. Meyer came away from the conversations with Riewer impressed by a superintendent who was spearheading change in her new community. He agrees there is something bigger waiting for Emerado. Expansion at GrandSky and the base was another factor Meyer highlighted as evidence the community has a market for new housing. Factoring in all of GrandSky’s partners, it's nearly 300 full-time equivalent workers with average salaries around $118,000. “Why doesn’t this community just embrace what we have, that a lot of towns would probably love to have? Let’s try to develop some new housing out here or new twin homes or apartments,” he said. As it stands, there are more questions than answers. Is land available? Are current landowners able to sell or willing to develop? Which developers are needed or are available? Riewer has worked to find the answers. She sent a letter to landowners with empty lots asking if they would be willing to sell or discuss the possibility of selling. There were “quite a few” responses from recipients, saying they were waiting to see what happens or that they were even interested in selling. “I know there are people (who) are willing to sell,” Riewer said. “I just wanted to make sure that we have the right people at the table. I was a part of the conversation and I keep talking to (Meyer) to keep putting that bug in his ear of ‘what are we going to do?’” ADVERTISEMENT Investment likely will be needed, and that's where the Red River Regional Council is looking to step in. Rotvold said efforts are being made to identify where that funding could come from. “There are a lot of folks who are trying to put heads together and identify funding (and) to maybe do master planning and then development. It’s both private and public parties that are involved in some of those conversations, but nothing super formal,” she said. Riewer wants to someday see this work as a success story other communities can emulate. “It would be nice to be able to say Emerado was a model for what a small rural community can do when it decides to bet on itself," she said. "Never did I think that a school leader would become such a big part of the community, but here we are."