AUBURN – Plans to build a replacement for Lake Street Elementary School and give it a bigger gym and air conditioning will get to voters this fall.

Councilors passed a first reading of a $9.46 million bond issue Tuesday and a companion piece that would let Auburn schools build a bigger gym and add air conditioning. Both issues will be back next Monday at the Aug. 3 meeting for a final hearing.

But councilors will wait until that meeting to decide when the vote will be held – during a special ballot Sept. 14, or during the general election Nov. 2.

A handful of area parents made a pitch for scheduling the earlier, special ballot.

“Just for the students and staff, doing it earlier would make it easier,” said Kathy Wilson of 36 Josslyn St. “It’s the difference between moving in the summer and moving in a Maine January.”

Plans call for putting the school on Park Avenue, southwest of the current school.

The design calls for 17 classrooms, separate music and art spaces, and a room for science experiments and other projects spread out over three stories. The music, art and science space would be on the basement level, while most offices and the library, gym and cafeteria would be on the first floor and classrooms would be on the first and second floors.

School officials released a report from Stephen Blatt Architects saying a two-month delay would cost the schools between $70,000 and $92,000. If voters approve the bond in November, school construction would begin in August 2005 and finish in December 2006. Students would begin in the new school after winter break.

A September vote would allow the schools to begin work in June 2005 and finish by July 2006.

But some councilors worried that rushing the vote might hurt voter turnout.

“I talk with a lot of people all over the downtown, and they don’t realize they’ll be voting on this as well,” said Councilor Belinda Gerry. She said she would support the early ballot if the School Committee promised to do a good job in getting the word out.

“I feel quite assured that we will have plenty of information when the time comes,” said Mayor Normand Guay.