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N.D. (AP) – Residents within Bismarck’s public school district have overwhelmingly approved an $86.5 million bond issue to build new schools to deal with crowding problems and anticipated enrollment growth.

The measure needed 60 percent approval in Tuesday’s special election to pass. It got the OK from 85 percent of the 13,771 people who voted.

Bismarck and nearby Lincoln each will get a new elementary school and Bismarck will get another high school.

Superintendent Tamara Uselman says that construction of the two elementaries likely will start next week so they can be opened sometime during the next school year. A site for the new high school hasn’t been determined.