(Batesville, Ind.) - Batesville Community Schools will skip the ballot box in order to make improvements, mostly at its intermediate school.

A $24 million referendum overwhelmingly failed among voters last November.

The school board has voted to take the facility improvement project to a remonstrance. Under Indiana law, combined projects which stay below a $12 million price tag can bypass a voter referendum.

Most of the funding would be put towards alleviating overcrowding and updating facilities at Batesville Intermediate School, with other crucial projects throughout the district likely on the list.

Though there will be no vote in the traditional sense, opponents will still have the opportunity to stop the project by filing for a remonstrance. They would then begin gathering a petition of signatures against it, but they would have to present more signatures than those in favor.

Public hearings may be held later this year. If the project gets the green light and there is not enough opposition, ground could be broken as soon as 2011.