In New England, school districts often look toward cooperative agreements as alternatives to further consolidation or "bigness." Cooperatives and collaboratives in Massachusetts are viewed as a politically acceptable alternative to further reorganization through consolidation. The emergence of collaboratives and the enactment of six regional education centers has altered considerably the pattern of distribution of authority between state and local agencies. The collaboratives are in competition with the regional education centers and with the local education agencies for state and federal funds. The history of collaboratives is traced and their areas of conflict with state and local agencies are discussed. Proposed legislation concerning collaboratives is presented. Areas of increasing conflict are projected for the future when, because of dwindling resources, the state attempts more centralization of services. (Author/MLF)