Thirty-four years ago, Aiken County was able to build two high schools and make a handful of other upgrades across the district for $13 million.

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Today, the construction of one high school stadium costs as much as it took to build Midland Valley and South Aiken high schools in 1976.

As the school board and a local education group prepare to ask voters to give the green light on $236 million in new schools and facility upgrades, they're hoping residents remember that it's been a generation since they asked for a bond referendum.

"Really, the community has not had this experience," said Diane Mangiante, the executive director for Public Education Partners, a local nonprofit that supports Aiken County schools. "If this passes, there will be a huge feeling of pride and accomplishment among our community."

The board voted Tuesday to put the referendum on the ballot May 25. In opting for an early voting date, board members cited the momentum they've already built through community input meetings.

Mangiante said the price tag will catch some taxpayers off guard because it is a progressive tax, but the majority of the burden will fall on homeowners who have larger properties.

"It's about $2 a week for a homeowner with a $100,000 home," she said. "When you think about the thousands of children you will impact, that's not much."

Though an exact figure hasn't been released by the school district, the owner of a $100,000 home can expect to pay about $100 extra a year.

The $236 million isn't the only investment that will come from the community.

The cost of running a non-general election will be about $40,000, according to the Aiken County Registration and Elections office.

The school district will also have to negotiate bond attorney and financial adviser fees if the referendum passes, district comptroller Tray Traxler said in an e-mail.

Educational materials for voters will also be printed, said Debbie Elmore, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina School Board Association. Traxler did not return messages asking who would pick up the tab for printed materials.

School board members have spent about 15 hours in public hearings and brainstorming sessions in the past six months. That doesn't include the time they've spent outside the office researching other districts' referendum tactics.

Deputy Superintendent David Caver, who headed the referendum research, said he couldn't say how much time staff has put into the project, but they were happy to put in the extra hours.

"We were all real excited and glad to prepare anything we did," he said. "It's just something we haven't done, and you have to have that information."

Mangiante said Public Education Partners hasn't quantified how much it is going to invest, but it will form committees in the next two weeks to compile information and begin its efforts.