Sherman School Superintendent Carrie Yohe speaks to district residents about the proposed capital improvement project. Submitted Photo

SHERMAN — Residents of the Sherman Central School district had an opportunity to get an overview of the proposed capital improvement project at a recent public informational meeting.

Sherman Superintendent Carrie Yohe and members of the Capital Project Committee were on hand to present details about the project and to answer questions. About 20 people attended the meeting.

The capital project is expected to span several years. The district is looking to have the project consist of infrastructure repairs to the interior and exterior building as well as redesign/relocating classrooms and offices. A few of the infrastructure repairs may include replacing the parking lot and bus loop, exterior insulation finishing system repair/washing, abatement removal and carpet replacement, steel window replacements, masonry repointing, and rebuilding masonry chimney/cleaning, Yohe said.

Relocating the nurse’s suite to the first floor of the building, redesigning the agriculture and technology area, adding classroom space, and renovating the cafeteria are the other areas to be included in the capital project, Yohe said.

“We don’t have room to grow, that’s the thing,” Yohe said. “If we needed to add an additional class, teachers would have to double up. For this capital project we need to think out of the box and look at all the spaces and locations to determine how they can best be used.”

Yohe said the district would have more informational meetings as the project progressed.

One woman from the audience asked if the district could provide exact cost figures for the project.

“All of us are going to walk out of this room and no numbers are getting floated out,” she said. “Could you give us a range? That’s what everyone is asking for.”

Yohe responded that the district is not ready to place a price on the project at this time. The team is still working through details at this time.

One man asked about the possibility of building a whole new school in an area with room to grow. Yohe and committee members answered that this option would cost more than $40 million.

“We are landlocked,” Yohe said. “Past administration looked at pieces of land to buy, but building a new school would have been a major burden for the community.”

Yohe said she feels the project will greatly improve the district’s facilities but will require innovative thinking.

“I’m excited about a capital project,” she said. “You have to think outside of the box when it comes to planning for a district’s future. We need to make sure the programs we offer meet the environment in which we have to teach. That’s what the committee has tried to do, think creatively to use the space we have been given to grow.”