Updated with 11:17 p.m. results from Camden County

Cherry Hill voters on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the school district's referendum on a $363 million bond issue to upgrade and renovate its aging school buildings, according to preliminary results from Camden County.

A report at 11:17 p.m. showed that nearly 69% off the votes were "yes" and about 31% were "no."

Out of 12,945 votes, 8,892 were in favor of the bond issue and 4,053 were against it. Just under 22% of all Cherry Hill voters turned out.

"We think this is going to be a phenomenal night for Cherry Hill," Board of Education President Benjamin Ovadia told 70and73.com Thursday night.

Ovadia was with Superintendent Joseph Meloche and others at the school administration building late Thursday night, eagerly awaiting any news on the results of in-person voting Thursday at the polls.

"We are pleased that with many months of input from the community and staff, the hard work of Garrison Architects, the Board of Education, and our administrators, we were able to present a solid plan for improvement that the community resoundingly supports," Meloche said in a statement at about 11:30 p.m.

"This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity that our community has come together to support," Meloche said. "The benefit to the next generations of students will be immeasurable."

As of the 11:17 report, about 68% of the total vote counted was from mail-in ballots, according to the county report.

The $363,911,100 provides for only construction and related costs and does not include interest payments to service the debt.

However, the tax calculator at the Cherry Hill Tomorrow website has figured in the cost of both principal and interest on the bonds, according to school officials.

The average Cherry Hill home is assessed at $226,400, according to Township data. The bond would add $401 a year to that average assessment's tax bill, which totaled $5,205 in the latest tax year for schools alone.

In its statement, the district noted that work on the 19 school buildings will begin next summer and continue for five years.