Post Falls school projects advance
<p>Joseph Seymour, a framer with All Wall Construction, works on the site of Post Falls School District's new elementary school project on Greensferry Road Monday.</p>
POST FALLS — Construction projects are rounding corners in the Post Falls School District.
Contractor bids on the performing arts auditorium and auxiliary gym projects at Post Falls High were opened on Thursday night and construction is slated to begin soon thereafter with completion of both pegged for the start of school this fall.
Meanwhile, the roof of the new elementary school under construction on the west side of Greensferry Road north of Poleline Avenue is expected to be completed in about two weeks.
"Then the interior work can start in earnest," said Jerry Keane, Post Falls superintendent. "Right now we are focusing on the new elementary school and the high school projects."
The projects, along with some others, are being funded with a $19.5 million facility bond approved by voters last year.
Keane said work on the $8 million elementary school by Contractors Northwest Inc. is slightly behind schedule due to the major wind and snow storms, but the project is still expected to be finished before the start of school this fall.
At the high school, the preliminary budget for the performing arts auditorium project is $2.5 million and the auxiliary gym $2 million.
The performing arts auditorium will seat about 500 and will have the equipment for productions, including lights and sound system, detachable seating to accommodate having an orchestra perform, a screen and projector.
The auxiliary gym will have a full 94-foot court, small locker rooms, seating for about 250 and a scoreboard.
"We will be fencing off part of the southwest student parking and part of the bus loop in order to start construction while school is in session," Keane said.
The district also has $250,000 earmarked for safety improvements.
"The focus so far has been on adding cameras at the two middle schools and updating and adding security cameras at PFHS," Keane said. "We plan on doing other upgrades as time permits."
Keane said the district also plans to add security cameras at elementary schools and restructure some school entrances.
Two new classrooms will be added to West Ridge Elementary School this summer.
The district earlier added a second floor and expanded the kitchen at River City Middle School.
The district also completed a remodel of Mullan Trail Elementary School that includes new windows, siding, carpet, and paint. Heating units were installed at Mullan Trail, Frederick Post Kindergarten and Seltice Elementary.