If voters agree at town meetings this spring, Vineyard schools adminstration will get a new $3.9 million building.

After nearly two years of planning, the regional high school committee has unanimously approved a plan Monday to finance the design and construction of a new building.

The vote took place during the committee’s monthly meeting Monday evening, and came on the recommendation of the building subcommittee. The new facility is planned for the high school campus. Keenen and Kenny of Falmouth have been hired as architects.

The proposal now must go before the six Island towns, which will be asked to approve a bond of $3.9 million. Each town would be assessed a portion of the bond based on their regional high school assessment. Four of the six towns must approve the proposal. Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss said a letter will go out to Island selectmen requesting that the question be placed on a warrant. Some annual town meeting warrants have already closed, so a special town meeting would need to be held in order to address the proposal. Individual towns may also opt to take no action on the request, which after 60 days would amount to tacit approval of the spending issue.

“I feel like we can absolutely, one hundred per cent say this committee has been so diligent, so thoughtful about making sure we’re getting the most bang for the buck,” said Colleen McAndrews, who was part of the building subcommittee. She said the new building would include public bathrooms for use by people who are using the sports fields, and that it will be built with room to expand. The school committee is leaning towards modular construction for the project but has not made a final decision on that matter.

“We really feel this is the best recommendation we can make,” Mrs. McAndrews said.

Mr. Weiss, who is retiring in June, said that the space would be fully accessible for people with handicaps for the first time, “small but not fancy,” and appropriate for “an office where confidential discussions have to take place.”

“It’s a need that has been here for a long time,” he said. The superintendent and district administration offices are currently located in a former church building across from the Tisbury School. That building, assessed at about $600,000 five years ago, would be sold after administrators had moved out, with any profits going toward the new project costs.

“It would take a unique project to take that building and do something with it,” Mr. Weiss saId. “It’s a great location, but the building is in pretty tough shape.”

Towns voted in 2012 to finance a feasibility study for the new building, and in 2013 approved money for architectural design fees.

When talks began in earnest regarding the building, the cost had been pegged at $3.5 million. A request for proposals went out for $4 million. Some estimates were as high as $4.2 million, school committee chairman Lisa Reagan said.

Mrs. Reagan said in only partial jest that one of the reasons the committee had arrived at their final number was because committee member Skipper Manter, known for his fiscal caution, had said yes.

“That’s enough for me,” Dave Rossi said.