We fanned out across the region last weekend to cover high school graduations.

Reporting on graduations never fails to reinforce how proud we are of our kids and our small, rural school districts.

We’d like to see this legacy of accomplishment continue.

Unfortunately, school districts across the region are at the center of several converging demographic trends.

Student enrollment is declining.

The number of public school students in the Adirondack Park decreased by a whopping 21 percent between 2003 and 2013.

The loss amounts to an average of 422 less students per year, according to the 2014 Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Report.

The population is aging.

The number of residents younger than age 30 is projected to decline by an average of 14 percent each decade of the 21st century.

By 2030, more than one-third of Adirondack Park residents will be over the age of 60.

The Empire Center, a fiscally-conservative government watchdog, reported last week the counties with the oldest age profiles are all upstate.

The list was topped by Hamilton County, where seniors make up nearly 29 percent of the population.

Delaware, Columbia, Essex and Warren all have elderly populations of 21 percent or more (Clinton and Franklin fared slightly younger, with seniors constituting between 15 and 17 percent).

As the demographics continue to shift, so do the character of our towns, which are fast becoming retirement communities for second homeowners.

Meanwhile, state and conservation groups are continuing to buy and lock up developable land that would expand the tax base.

The bright side is the past several years have been relatively smooth sailing when it comes to financing for public school districts.

This year’s state budget saw an increase in education funding, and the Gap Elimination Adjustment, the controversial state formula that put school districts on a fiscal diet, has been abolished.

But despite the reprieve, the long-term financing of public education remains uncertain as the state faces projected budget shortfalls, and districts statewide are strategizing on how to remain sustainable.

Strategies include sharing services, tuitioning out students, closing buildings — and yes, even merging districts.

That’s why we commend the Elizabethtown-Lewis and Westport Central Boards of Education for making the tough decision to jointly authorize a formal merger study.

The year-long process will examine every operational and academic policy, and flip over every fiscal stone, before the districts determine if merging the districts is the best way to ensure their survival.

The decision to examine the issue, both districts have said, is not a way to validate a preordained decision, but is rather just smart thinking in an era of uncertainty.

We agree, and other districts should follow in their footsteps — especially the districts in the central Adirondacks which are among the state’s smallest and most spread out.

It’s not just school districts who are facing tough choices.

A new shared services initiative by the governor designed to further slash property taxes has counties scrambling to find savings before the state-mandated Aug. 1 deadline.

The latest program simply formalizes long-running informal local efforts to find savings, including ongoing attempts in at least two counties to explore the feasibility of county-run EMS systems.

To be clear: The state has not indicated they will force school district mergers, and it’s a decision that will undoubtedly outlive the current administration.

But that may not always be the case.

The state Department of State, according to the governor’s office, has spent $51 million since 2011 to study and implement shared services arrangements between local governments.

It’s obvious which way the wind is blowing.

The state, however, is offering financial incentives to merge, including a temporary boost in operating aid over a 14-year period.

It’s far too early to predict how the merger study will shake out at ELCS and Westport Central.

But we encourage residents to keep an open mind and follow the facts wherever they lead — even if the result is an undesirable one.

© 2017 Sun Community News