The first day of school for students across eastern Allegheny and Westmoreland counties is quickly approaching with most scheduled to return to the classroom Monday. Among the changes awaiting them are upgraded computer systems, newly hired administrators and renovated buildings. Find your district in the list below to see what's new in your school district this fall.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY

Allderdice High School

Starting date: Aug. 30

Estimated enrollment: 1,650

What's new? The Squirrel Hill school has a new principal: Bob Scherrer, formerly principal of Woodland Hills High School. Former Schenley High assistant principal Daniel Bernard will be the assistant principal. Returning band and chorus students will find their classrooms have been moved to what once was the autobody shop area. The former music area will now serve as classrooms.

Freshmen students will take part in a citywide program called Ninth Grade Nation aimed at helping them transition into the routines and rigors of high school. A component of the program includes lessons from older students about how they adjusted to high school.

Boyce Campus Middle College High School

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 180

What's new? The school, which is the only one of its kind in the state, selectively accepts 45 students from each of its participating districts: Gateway, Penn Hills, Plum and Woodland Hills.

Director Michele Markiewicz reports that four new courses are being offered this year: chemistry, law and justice, Spanish and film studies.

Central Catholic High School

Starting date: Aug. 28

Estimated enrollment: 850

What's New? A $1 million library renovation project completed over the summer features an open floor plan with a centralized circulation desk; individual and group study areas to accommodate up to 100 students; a comfortable seating area for research; a wireless computer area, energy efficient windows and a new air conditioning system. School officials say the new design improves the school's video conferencing and distance learning capabilities.

Other technological acquisitions this year include four computerized interactive white boards for classroom use.

East Allegheny

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 1,874

The big news this summer has been the state's decision to send students from Duquesne City High School, which has closed, to East Allegheny and West Mifflin Area school districts. The determination means that East Allegheny High School is gaining 64 new students. Even though both districts have filed lawsuits challenging the reassignment, both are trying to make the situation a positive one for students.

As a result of the planned opening of its new Logan Middle School in early 2008 and the corresponding closure of Westinghouse school, the district also has reconfigured its student population.

This year, Green Valley Elementary school will house all kindergarten through third-grade students. Grades four through seven will go to Westinghouse for the first half of the school year. In January 2008, when Logan is slated to open, fourth through seventh grades will move there, as will eighth grade students who'll begin the year at the high school. The new middle school is located behind the football stadium on the high school campus.

Gateway

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 4,300

What's new? The high school is offering 24 new classes this year that include sports and entertainment management, 3-D modeling and animation, multimedia Web page design, structural engineering and exploring Auto-CAD. A new advanced placement course in governmental studies is also being added.

The cafeteria at the high school received a new coat of paint over the summer. Students at University Park and Evergreen elementary schools will find new carpeting in many of their classrooms.

McKeesport Area

Starting date: Aug. 28

Estimated enrollment: 4,168

What's new? Students and parents will see new administrative faces at several district schools this fall. The following changes include:

McKeesport Area High School -- Dr. Timothy Gabauer, principal; Karen Chapman, assistant principal; Founders Hall Middle School -- Harry Bauman, principal; Paul Sweda, assistant principal; Marcella Berry, assistant principal. Cornell Intermediate -- Tamara Stanton, principal. George Washington Elementary -- Staci Fitzpatrick, principal. Jane Coughenour will be principal of the district's Cyber and Technology Integration Department.

Students at the high school this year will take part in a new program called Career Clusters that will allow them to choose from five areas of study based on their career interests: Arts & Communication, Business Information Technology & Finance, Engineering and Industrial Technology, Human Services and Science and Health.

The district is also adding a pre-Kindergarten program in September to serve 102 children who qualify through a PA Pre-K Counts grant worth $402,900.

Oakland Catholic High School

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 550

What's New? Returning students will find a renovated ground floor that includes new science labs, library and research facility and commons area for students. They'll also find several learning trailers outside the building that will serve as seven classrooms while renovations and improvements continue on the first and second floors.

Along with the rebuild of the existing structure, the school is constructing an addition that will serve as a chapel and lecture hall; the addition is expected to be completed in January.

The school is also offering Chinese as a fifth foreign language choice to students this fall.

Penn Hills

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 5,190

What's new? A number of administrative changes are in place at Penn Hills this year.

Dennis Chakey is principal at Linton Middle School. Sandra Barker is the new principal at Penn Hebron Elementary Academy, replacing Laura Small, who is taking over as principal at William Penn. John Peterman is the district's new athletic director. He replaces Neil Gordon, who will serve as head varsity football coach.

Another change: two pre-K programs added at Shenandoah Elementary and Washington Elementary.

Plum Borough School District

Starting date: Aug. 28

Estimated enrollment: 4,200

What's new? Francis Sciullo will serve as acting principal at Adlai Stevenson Elementary School. The district also has a new director of business affairs, Eugene J. Marraccini.

Riverview

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 1,175

What's new? The district bid farewell to its athletic director, Jake Cappa, who retired last year after 38 years service, during which time he won numerous awards, including WPIAL Coach of the Year in 1997. The district hired another veteran of the high school sports scene, Bob Kariotis, to take his place.

The district also has a new marching and stage band director, Ian Hughes.

The district will enter into a four-year research partnership with the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center with the aim of developing new instructional strategies for math and science.

Serra Catholic High School

Starting date: Aug. 23 for freshmen. All others, Aug. 24

Estimated enrollment: 350

What's new? The school is installing remote hubs for wireless Internet access.

By the end of October, parents should be able to access their child's grades online. The school also is installing and equipping the library with electronic white board technology and a permanently mounted projector.

Finally, administrators obtained a grant for a mobile wireless laptop lab that can be taken to any classroom throughout the school, permitting an entire class access to educational sites.

Wilkinsburg

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 1,403

The district is adding full-day pre-kindergarten programs at all three of its elementary schools. Previously, the district had only offered half-day programs at two schools. Adopting the program has meant overhauls of classrooms at Kelly and Turner schools to include classroom computers.

The pre-Kindergarten program is being offered to all 4-year-olds in the district at no charge.

Kelly Elementary is also to receive a new playground.

Woodland Hills

Starting date: Aug. 28

Estimated enrollment: 5,000

What's new? Woodland Hills High School has two new assistant principals: Sito Narcisse and Michael Wetmiller. At West Junior High School, Shawn Brown is assistant principal.

Continued improvements to the high school football stadium, the Wolverina, include a new refreshment stand and a remodeled visiting team's locker room. The upgrades to the athletic facilities are part of an ongoing $8 million capital project.

The district is planning to begin a pre-Kindergarten program in late-September or October.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY

Derry Area

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 2,538

What's new? Kris Higgs was hired as principal at Grandview Elementary. At the middle school, Jeff Metzer was hired as associate to replace Cheryl Walters, who was promoted to principal. David Momper, formerly of Wilkinsburg, is the new director of special services.

All students will participate in a new inquiry-based math program.

New technology will allow faculty and administrators to use an automated student management system, as well as increase community participation by providing interactive podcasts for school concerts and other events.

The Barbara Thompson Early Literacy Center will be the site of a new preschool initiative in partnership with Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Greater Latrobe Area School District and student teachers from Seton Hill University.

Franklin Regional

Starting date: Aug. 28

Estimated enrollment: 3,756

What's new? The district has added an air circulation system in the pool area, installed 64 new security cameras, replaced the roof at Sloan Elementary and installed a new divider in the middle school gymnasium.

The school board recently hired Zachary Kessler as athletic director.

A new core literacy series will be introduced in kindergarten through fifth grades, and elective courses added at the high school are international business, Web page design and alternative voices (a senior English elective).

Students and parents can expect to participate in a new online-based grading and student accounting system called Dashboard. Technology upgrades are complete in the high school newspaper and yearbook offices. Elementary students will be accessing an Accelerated Reader program online this year, as opposed to the pencil and paper method previously used.

Greater Latrobe Area

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 4,200

What's new? Full-day kindergarten will be implemented district-wide beginning this school year, and an elementary-level breakfast program will be phased in as the school year progresses.

Secondary students will have access to eight online course offerings through a new "blended schools" philosophy in which traditional classroom and online courses can be combined. The online courses are based in other schools, but tests and other assessments will be supervised by Greater Latrobe teachers. Also, the high school is adding an additional Advanced Placement English class to its existing offering of a dozen AP classes.

Finally, the district is partnering with St. Vincent College to periodically bring a Mandarin Chinese-speaking professor into the schools. The program will focus on cultural awareness and globalization.

Greensburg Central Catholic High School

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 525

What's new? Students this fall will have access to four media creation workstations that feature a powerful desktop computer with video and audio editing and production software, as well as video and audio capture equipment. The stations are designed to give learners the experience of working independently as well as cooperatively to create new media projects. Specifically, each workstation includes one desktop, three video cameras, three tripods, four microphones, three microphone stands, one audio mixer, one media interface, two portable audio capture devices and cabling.

The district plans to renovate the girls' locker rooms as part of this year's larger construction project to add an auxiliary gymnasium and a new visiting team locker room. Additional parking at the site was completed over the summer.

Greensburg Salem

Starting date: Aug. 29

Estimated enrollment: 3,083

What's new? No information provided.

Hempfield Area

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 6,475

What's new? The school district has a new superintendent, Dr. Terry Foriska, who formerly served as Hempfield's assistant superintendent for secondary education. Earlier he was an assistant superintendent for Gateway School District. West Point Elementary, beginning this school year, will serve a kindergarten through fifth grade population. Previously, the school housed students in grades 3-5, while the area's kindergarten through second grade students attended East Hempfield. The move allows the district to use East Hempfield Elementary as the new home for its alternative education program, Crossroads, and for its pupil services personnel.

The district is introducing a revised World Language curriculum for all students, as well as a revised technology education for grades six through 12. The changes involve new textbooks, technology resources, software programs and other support material.

New elective science courses for junior and senior students this year are forensic science, earth science and ocean science.

Jeannette City

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 1,250

What's new? Superintendent Vincent Aiello retires this fall after 21 years as Jeannette's superintendent. His replacement, Sharon Marks, who has worked for 21 years in the district, is expected to take over in December when she completes her Superintendent's Letter of Eligibility at Gannon University.

New literacy programs will be implemented at all grade levels.

Technology upgrades continue this year with the integration of new high-speed communications systems. Select teachers are expected to pilot a new online grading and student accounting system that may soon allow all students and parents to check grades and other school information via a secure Internet site.

Norwin

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 5,200

What's new? Opening of the district's new $13 million Hahntown Elementary School has been postponed until mid-October. The building, which is expected to house roughly 450 students who currently attend Scull Elementary, was under a very tight construction schedule. The timeline to open the school by late August was thrown off by weather and other uncontrollable factors, said Superintendent Jack Boylan.

Heather Newell is the district's only new administrator this year, taking over as the middle school's assistant principal, replacing Mr. Robert Suman, who becomes middle school principal.

A literacy program, formerly used exclusively in grades kindergarten through third, will be expanded to include grades four, five and six this year. Secondary students will experience the Reading Apprenticeship program to enhance literacy in those grades.

Penn-Trafford

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 4,500

What's new? The district has created and implemented a new Food Allergy policy. The document addresses a plan and procedures for students, parents and school personnel with regard to the special needs associated with this medical condition.

And, according to the district's recently revamped newsletter, the Penn-Trafford Prospectus, kindergarten and first grade teachers will be using Palm Pilots to quickly assess students in conjunction with the standardized DIBELS test. The method will allow for instant analysis of classroom and individual student academic performance.

A new library computer lab has been installed at the high school, and a total of 22 SmartBoards and projectors were purchased for various classrooms, districtwide.

For more information, view the Prospectus online at www.penntrafford.org.

Southmoreland

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 2,165

What's new? Construction continues on a new middle school on the campus of Southmoreland Elementary School, formerly known as Scottdale Elementary School.

Another district school, formerly recognized as Alverton Elementary School, has been renamed Southmoreland Primary Center and now houses all district students in kindergarten and first grade.

Administrators say an ongoing realignment and construction plan includes students in grades two through six from Southmoreland Elementary to temporarily move into the newly built middle school in December so that their elementary building can be renovated. Junior high students are then expected to begin using the new middle school in the fall of 2008.

Also, the district has hired Dan Clara as its new junior high school principal to replace Dr. Tim Scott, now principal of Southmoreland Primary Center and the district's curriculum coordinator.

A new Head Start class and two early intervention classes offered through the Intermediate Unit will be housed at Ruffsdale Elementary School.

Yough Area

Starting date: Aug. 27

Estimated enrollment: 2,480

What's new? The district has closed West Newton Elementary and reassigned its students into the two remaining elementary schools, Mendon and H.W. Good.

Parents, students and school personnel will begin using PowerSchool this year, an online grading and student accounting system.

Athletic booster organizations are expected to finish construction of new concession stands at the district's athletic complex.

The federally funded Title 1 program has been expanded into sixth grade this year, and more computers and software have been purchased for student use district-wide.