SHERBURNE – Voters in the Sherburne-Earlville School District will be going to the polls today to vote on a $25.2 million building improvement project that administrators say will have little bottom line effect on the taxpayers.

School administrators have said that while Sherburne district has a well equipped facility, improvements are needed to address current and future needs. The middle school / high school facility was built in 1970, and after 37 years, Assistant Superintendent Thomas Strain says the way the building is used has changed significantly. He added that even the newer Elementary School building is now eleven years old.

The building improvement plan calls for infrastructure updates, totaling 62 percent of the total cost; academic upgrades, totaling 12 percent; other desired improvements, totaling 12 percent; handicap accessibility upgrades, totaling 10 percent; safety and security, which amounts to 2 percent and equipment replacement, also totaling 2 percent.

“Technology is rapidly changing, and the number of hours the school is occupied increases every year. Energy costs continue to increase, and school security is always a concern and a priority. We have an obligation to protect our investment in the facilities, and we presently have an opportunity to update and upgrade our facilities at virtually no cost to local taxpayers,” Strain said in a previous interview.