BY MATT LINDSEYNorth Country This Week

PARISHVILLE — Two St. Lawrence County school districts are examining the possibility of joining together as part of a months-long study aimed at improving educational opportunities, sharing resources and addressing long-term financial challenges.

The Colton-Pierrepont and Parishville-Hopkinton central school districts began an optimization study in July with the Schmitt Leadership Group, an independent consulting firm selected by both districts.

The study will examine student enrollment, academic programs, staffing, facilities, transportation, finances and opportunities for cooperation between the districts. It is expected to take six to eight months.

Although a merger is among the options being considered, district officials stress that no decisions have been made. The study also will examine expanded shared services and other cooperative arrangements that would not require the districts to merge.

The goal is to provide both Boards of Education with information to help determine the best long-term direction for the districts and their students.

Among the potential benefits being explored are additional Advanced Placement and college-level courses, specialized electives, expanded career and technical education opportunities, more extracurricular activities and athletic programs, and additional student support services.

Transportation will be a major part of the review. The districts estimate bus routes currently range from 20 to 70 minutes. Consultants will examine transportation costs, fleet use and existing route durations, as well as opportunities to improve efficiency.

Questions about school buildings have also been raised during community discussions. According to the districts' frequently asked questions, the study will not recommend closing existing buildings or constructing a new school campus. Both districts' bus garages, however, need substantial upgrades to meet New York's electric school bus requirements.A shared transportation center could be considered if the districts reorganize.

If a merger were to occur, the resulting district would have one superintendent, one Board of Education, one budget and one business office. Decisions about how individual school buildings would operate would be made by the new district's leadership and Board of Education.

The total cost of the study is $84,600. State BOCES aid is expected to reimburse approximately $49,200. The estimated local costs are $17,950 for Parishville-Hopkinton and $17,400 for Colton-Pierrepont.

Community members have had opportunities to provide feedback through public forums, surveys and stakeholder discussions. The next community forum is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Parishville-Hopkinton Central School.

Preliminary findings are expected to be shared Dec. 7, with a report submitted to the New York State Education Department in January. A joint meeting of the two Boards of Education is tentatively planned for mid-February or early March 2027 to publicly present the findings.

At that point, the boards will determine whether to make no changes, pursue additional shared services or consider a formal reorganization process. Any future reorganization would require additional public input and voter approval in both communities.