East Lyme — The referendum on the elementary schools project will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the East Lyme Community Center on Society Road. 

The $37.5 million bonding proposal calls for renovating the town's three elementary schools with new air conditioning, security upgrades, Wi-Fi, handicap-accessible bathroom fixtures, new paint, flooring, doors and light fixtures, among other renovations, according to presentations held this winter.

The proposal features specific alterations for each school, including the replacement of the Flanders Elementary School roof; reconfigured drop-off areas and the re-establishment of the second gym at Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School; and new windows, exterior masonry improvements and upgrades to the gym at Niantic Center School.

The project is anticipated to receive an estimated $5.4 million in state reimbursement, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton.

If townspeople approve the proposal, construction is slated to begin in June 2018 and finish in fall 2019.

The town clerk's office will hold additional hours to issue absentee ballots for the referendum. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday for the issuance of absentee ballots, according to a town notice.