POST FALLS - Post Falls School District officials are putting on their hard-hats, ready for newly approved construction.

After voters approved a $19.5 million facility bond on Tuesday that will fund several projects, the district has gone right to work planning for a $4 million second-story addition and kitchen expansion at River City Middle School.

Construction at River City is expected to start in May and finish before school starts in the fall.

"River City is our No. 1 priority because that's so time-sensitive," said Jerry Keane, school superintendent. "We're going to push hard to make it happen."

Keane said the school was designed to have a second story when it was built, so much of the groundwork for the addition is already done. That should help with the tight timeline, he said.

Meals are currently delivered to the school, but the kitchen project will allow for meals to be cooked on site.

Keane said the second priority will be constructing a new $10 million elementary school on the west side of Greensferry Road north of Poleline Avenue to alleviate overcrowding at other schools.

Construction is expected to start this summer with completion pegged for fall 2016. Students who live in the Fieldstone subdivision will attend the school plus others as boundaries will be adjusted next year.

"We're hoping for reasonable weather next winter to build," Keane said.

The district this summer should also be able to pick off some, but not all, of the smaller projects to be funded by the bond, Keane said.

The funding package included a $1 million sum for a two-classroom addition at West Ridge; heating unit upgrades at Seltice, Frederick Post/ New Vision and Mullan Trail; energy efficiency remodels at Mullan Trail and Frederick Post; and security system upgrades throughout the district.

Work on a $2.5 million performing arts auditorium and a $2 million auxiliary gym at Post Falls High will likely start within the next year.

"It would be nice to start all of the projects right away, but we want to make sure quality (of all the district projects) is not compromised because of speed," Keane said. "We need to meet and discuss the timing on both (PFHS projects). There may be some construction overlap on those two."

Keane said the district hopes to have the bond sale completed in early May.

"That way we'll have money to pay the contractors," he said.

Property taxes will not increase from what residents are currently paying as a result of the bond passing.

Voters on Tuesday also approved a supplemental levy of $4.65 million per year for two years to help fund maintenance and operations. The approval will also not increase existing taxes.