The phrase “waiting for Superman” evokes a superhero swooping in to solve a problem regular folks have been unable, or unwilling, to solve themselves. Ironically, the acclaimed documentary of that name details one school system’s struggle to provide the equitable education young people deserve.

That notion looms in the background as the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont School Districts grapple with historic enrollment declines, rising operating costs and needed capital improvements to our elementary schools.

No hero is going to swoop in and solve these difficult challenges.

Early in 2027, the communities that make up the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts will weigh in on how best to achieve long-term fiscal and educational sustainability for our districts, our towns and our students.

As superintendent, I know we must do everything we can to encourage the commonwealth to invest more in our rural schools. My colleagues and I have led the fight for more equitable funding. We have traveled to Beacon Hill many times, testified at legislative hearings, and organized efforts to raise legislators’ awareness of the crisis in rural districts. But history and political realities have shown there are limits to what we can expect from the commonwealth, our “Superman.”

Meanwhile, our four elementary schools are aging, student populations are shrinking and costs are rising rapidly. Our towns face a shrinking tax base and infrastructure challenges of their own.

Something’s got to give. We are at a tipping point where the cost of providing the education our students deserve is outstripping our towns’ ability to pay.

For several years, the cost of providing the same services as the year before has exceeded anticipated revenues by $1 million to $2 million. We have closed much of that gap, and kept town assessment increases reasonable, with federal COVID funding, revolving funds (essentially district savings accounts) and deferred building repairs. Those resources are now largely depleted.

Last year, we cut more than 20 full-time positions and combined some grade-level classes. Students fill only 42% of our available classroom space. Going forward, the shortfall will exceed $2 million. We must find a better way to educate our children while ensuring they have the robust programming they deserve.

Eighteen months ago, after years of research, analysis and community engagement, the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont School Committees voted to pursue a consolidated PK-12 campus. That means moving from four elementary schools to a single facility at what is now Mohawk Trail Regional School.

Early in 2027, our eight communities (Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Shelburne and Plainfield) will be asked to approve a feasibility study. It would assess the advantages, disadvantages and costs of renovation and/or new construction options to accommodate all our students. Importantly, the state will reimburse over 60% of the study’s cost.

As a professional educator charged with advancing opportunities for students, I believe this process will provide critical information on how best to serve them.

Our choices are clear. We can maintain the status quo and manage as best we can through cuts to programming and staffing and increases to town assessments, which will affect students and families. Or we can explore what we might achieve, financially and educationally, by working together to create a single, unified campus. Financial models indicate that, over time, operational savings and efficiencies would essentially pay for the construction, putting the district on a path to sustainability.

Those reluctant to entertain a feasibility study argue our existing schools will be fine if only we can obtain a more significant contribution from the state. For those who say the commonwealth will bail us out, this is a “waiting for Superman” moment.

Some note that Massachusetts is “awash in cash for education” through the Fair Share amendment, which has generated billions for schools and transportation. Yet only $8 million of that revenue has gone to rural districts. The Chapter 70 school aid formula is being revamped, which is good news, and we will keep lobbying vigorously. But when Chapter 70 was last revisited in 2017, rural needs were ignored and our district received nothing additional. What we consistently hear from legislators is that rural districts must show a good-faith effort to operate more efficiently rather than simply asking for more money to do the same things.

Nearly three years of community work have produced objective information for an informed decision. Good decisions require good information and all voices at the table. A vote for feasibility is not a vote to consolidate or to build. It is a vote to find answers to the questions we all have.

In education, we teach that gathering data leads to informed problem-solving. Taxpayers do the same. So, wearing both my superintendent and taxpayer hats, I am a “yes” vote for a feasibility study.

My advocacy is for our students, not for waiting to be rescued. My hope is that we do the necessary homework, have the difficult discussions, and work together to ensure all our students have what they need to succeed.

Sheryl Stanton is superintendent of schools for the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts.