Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the apparent low bidder for the big Shilo Hills Elementary School modernization and expansion project, says Ned Wendle, director of facilities and planning for the Mead School District.

Garco’s bid came in at $14.6 million, below bids of $14.7 million from T.W. Clark Construction LLC, of Spokane Valley, and nearly $14.8 million from Lydig Construction Inc., which also is based in Spokane Valley.

The difference between Garco’s bid and Lydig’s bid, however, amounted to just $152,000. District officials are still reviewing the Garco bid, Wendle says.

“Right now, we’re looking at starting construction during spring break (the first week of April) and moving those kids off site to the old Northwood (Middle School),” Wendle says.

Shiloh Hills, now 34 years old, is located at 505 E. Stonewall, in the Nevada Lidgerwood neighborhood on Spokane’s North Side.

The old Northwood school is located at 13120 N. Pittsburg, near Mead, more than three miles northeast of Shiloh Hills Elementary.

MMEC Architecture & Interiors LLC, of Spokane, is the project architect, and Spokane-based LSB Consulting Engineers PLLC is the industrial engineer, according to the permit application for the design-bid-build project.

When finished, the 11,000 square feet of new space at Shiloh Hills will bring the school to a total of more than 60,000 square feet of space.

Last September, the Mead School District topped 10,000 students for the first time in its history. It’s the third largest district in the Spokane area, after Spokane Public Schools and the Central Valley School District.

In February 2015, Mead voters approved a $69.5 million bond that when coupled with a state match, will fund close to $102 million in construction projects.

Next February, Mead voters will cast ballots on whether they want to approve a new $114.5 million bond as well as renew an existing educational program enrichment levy.

If approved, the bond will fund construction of a new middle school, a new elementary school, and a district performing arts and athletic venue/stadium.

The bond calls for transforming part of the former Mead Middle School site into space for an outdoor venue that would have seating capacity for 4,500 spectators. Both Mead and Mt. Spokane high schools would play their home football games at the new stadium, if approved.

The bond also calls for a performing arts center to be built at the site. The tax rate for the proposed bond is $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $19.25 per month for a homeowner with an assessed residential value of $220,000, district officials say.

The enrichment levy calls for continued funding to support programs around athletics, band, choir, debate, drama and STEM for example, from 2019 through 2021, the district says.

The current levy rate is $4.01 per $1,000 of assessed value. If approved, however, under the new state school funding formula, the renewal levy rate would drop to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to the district.