An exemplary $20,000 study, funded by the Washington state legislature in 1985, permitted nine small rural farm-oriented school districts in Whitman County to determine the need for and possible options of collaboration and cooperation. The study embodied major components that could serve as a model for similar planning efforts. The study was conducted by four nine-person citizen advisory sub-committees--each assisted by a Washington State University consultant--and a Technical Advisory Committee composed of the nine district superintendents. One sub-committee considered historical community background and physical, sociological, economic, and social characteristics. Another sub-committee assessed youth aspirations and educational intentions by surveying high school seniors. The third sub-committee examined existing school programs (credit and extracurricular), educational services (guidance and counseling, library, special programs), and support services (custodial, secretarial, administrative, and transportation) by surveying parents of fifth graders, 1981 and 1982 graduates, teachers, and administrators. The fourth sub-committee focused on finance and administrative services including space utilization, enrollment projections, transportation, and interdistrict cooperation. Sub-committees, administrators, faculty, and consultants then identified advantages and disadvantages of 14 alternative options for multi-district cooperative arrangements which emerged during the study. Options considered sharing staff, students, busing, and facilities; centralizing or diffusing academic/skills and instructional materials centers; and supporting a joint communication system. (NEC)