SHERBURNE – The Sherburne-Earlville Central District School board kicked off the second phase of a $25.2 multi-year capital building project this month by accepting a company’s bid to construct and install a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Barney & Sons Well Drilling Inc. of Laurens was awarded a contract in the amount of $1.132 million. Exterior work is expected to begin soon at the middle/high school building.

Bids for infrastructure, renovations to classrooms and offices, and other major portions of the capital project will be opened at the March 22 meeting of the board.

The first construction phase ended in late December with the completion of the Elementary School’s band room. Chairs and stands to accommodate 150 students were moved in early January. On-site cabinets store instruments when not in use and, according to Elementary School Music Teacher Jonna Bartlett, carefully designed acoustics, high-tech recording equipment and natural lighting have made learning music a more rewarding and successful experience for students.