LAKEVILLE — During a public meeting with town officials on Tuesday, Sept. 9, representatives of the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School presented a funding plan — that a Special Town Meeting will vote on in November — for construction of a new school building.

School representatives said their current facilities are limiting and in disrepair. The project would use $130 million in state funding to finance the construction that will cost $288 million in total. Lakeville voters and the towns whose students attend the school need to decide to temporarily raise taxes to fund the project. Lakeville's portion of the $160 million is $40 million — determined by the number of students Lakeville sends to Old Colony.

At the meeting, Superintendent Aaron Polansky said the existing 50-year-old building at 476 North Ave., has “dramatically” increased maintenance costs and operational issues.

“We need a new Old Colony, or we need to do some serious work with the old, Old Colony, " Polansky said, “and this seemed to be the best decision.”

The School Building Committee, which is leading the project, found that building the proposed two-story facility would have larger capacity and better longevity for more programs and enrollment — rather than repairing the current building.

Polanksy said the current building is “undersized in every area.” School administrators and psychologists have turned supply closets into offices, and maintenance needs to the drinking water system, bathrooms, classrooms and parking lot are mounting, he said.

The school also intends to extend courses for dental assisting, HVAC, plumbing and provide education for adults in the evenings. The plan also included improved classrooms for cosmetology studios, auto-mechanic shops and culinary work stations.

To go forward, Lakeville, Acushnet, Carver, Rochester and Mattapoisett each need to approve a debt exclusion at their respective Town Meetings. If Town Meeting voters sign off, then the question of temporarily raising taxes heads to a town-wide referendum, where voters will once again decide — this time at the ballot box.

Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth said overall, the proposed costs could limit other developments in town.

“In general, [the project] is a big ticket — it's a big amount of money. There’s just a lot of taxes involved that puts a really big strain on any other big projects,” Sukeforth said..

Select Board Chair Maureen Candito said the board will consider the timing of the ballot-question for voters to approve the project, and also the debt exclusive exclusion override — the decision for voters to approve financing the project with taxpayer funds.

“We need to get the timing down right and make sure that we have everything basically wrapped up at the right time. We want to be on-par with the other towns,” Candito said.

Since the debt exclusion override — a temporary voter-approved increase in taxes — will be used to come up with the $40 million construction cost, the timing of the two votes is important.

Sukeforth said the board will discuss the pros and cons of having the votes on the same day at a meeting scheduled for Sept.16.