Ledyard — The Town Council on Wednesday night set in motion the first of many steps in the school renovation project, which was approved by voters in January.

By a vote of 8-0, with Councilor John Marshall absent, the council voted to issue $2.5 million in bond anticipation notes — or short-term, up-front funds that will be reimbursed later — to help the Permanent Municipal Building Committee select a construction architect, prepare construction documents and perform necessary tests at the sites.

"We're so thrilled the Town Council's agreed to front this money so that once the (state) legislature releases the funds, we can start building right away," said Board of Education and committee member Rebecca Graebner at the board's Wednesday night meeting.

The $65.8 million project, which will renovate as new Gallup Hill Elementary School and Ledyard Middle School as well as demolish Ledyard Center School, will be funded largely by the state. Only about $24 million will fall directly to taxpayers.

Graebner said the council's decision, which could speed up the process by about nine months, is important because each additional year taken to complete the project could add more than $1 million to the price tag.

The first request for proposals and for qualifications for architectural design services for the project was published in The Day on Thursday.

Graebner said the committee intends to interview no more than four architectural firms and hopes to have one selected by the end of June, although a PowerPoint presentation that committee Chairman Steven Juskiewicz compiled in March puts that decision closer to mid-August.

That same document estimates construction will start in March of 2017 and last for a minimum of two years.

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle