SHERBURNE – Phase one of Sherburne-Earlville’s $25.2 million building project is expected to begin this spring, and with the question of what the potential costs will be, plans for phase two cannot be finalized until the district knows how much money it will have left.

According to Assistant Superintendent Thomas Strain, the plans for the first phase of the project were submitted to the New York State Education Department and the school is currently waiting for approval before it can begin. Strain said it is currently taking about six months for the approval process. “They’re short-handed at the state level,” Strain said.

Phase one of the project will include an expansion on the elementary building to accommodate the addition of a new band room. Air conditioning will be installed in the downstairs’ classrooms. The upstairs’ rooms were completed previously. A new concession stand will be built at the football stadium, and many of the parking lots and roadways will be repaved.

A geothermal system for heating and cooling the middle school/high school will also be installed during phase one. Strain said the school is already digging test wells for the project. “It’s a renewable energy source and it will meet updated air exchange codes,” he said.