Stonington - The two-decade effort to upgrade the town's elementary schools could finally be ready for a referendum vote early next year.

The project took a big step forward this week as the K-12 School Building Committee hired an architectural firm to design a plan and come up with a cost estimate.

Committee Chairman Rob Marseglia said the firm of Drummey Rosane Anderson of Windsor and Needham, Mass., is expected to complete its work in February or early March. Voters would then need to approve the project so the town can apply for state funding to offset some of the cost.

For years, school officials have considered a plan to close West Broad Street School, expand and renovate West Vine Street School and renovate Deans Mill School.

But the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Van Riley have recently recommended a new plan that calls for construction of a new middle school adjacent to the high school. The three elementary schools would be closed and students in kindergarten through fifth grade would attend Mystic and Pawcatuck middle schools.

The school administration building would be closed and offices moved to the new middle school.

Marseglia said nine architectural firms applied for the job, expected to cost about $50,000, and five were interviewed. He said the firm that was selected specializes in school construction and has done projects in Clinton, Windsor, Bristol, Tolland and other Connecticut communities. It also has designed many college and university buildings.

"They are really good with helping a community understand the issues, how to respond to them and how to support a proposed resolution," Marseglia said.

One potential obstacle for the project may be the Board of Finance, which has been opposed to adding to the town's debt load by approving a project that could cost in the $40 to $50 million range.

School officials have argued for years that the aging elementary schools need to be renovated and expanded.

In the past year, the town had to replace the roof at Deans Mill School because water was leaking into classrooms and the library. The top floor of West Broad Street School was closed this spring after water-soaked portions of the ceiling began to sag and a portion of a stairwell ceiling collapsed.

Repairs were made and the top floor, which houses four classrooms and the gym/auditorium, reopened in time for the start of school in August.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas