Art students are settling into their corner of West Allegheny High School's new, 24-classroom wing, the most recently completed part of a $25 million expansion project in North Fayette.

Hallways leading to the art suite have been lined with painted panels produced by pupils for an upcoming art show.

On a recent afternoon, Brandon Tyler, 18, worked on his Warhol-esque depiction of celebrity Lindsay Lohan inside the new 3-D art studio, a classroom given double its former space for creating clay sculptures and other three-dimensional works.

Mr. Tyler liked the openness of the new art area. "I'm kind of sad that I'm a senior and won't get to enjoy it for four years," he said.

Across the hall in 10th-grade art class, Nicole Siebert worked next to floor-to-ceiling windows.

"There's more light, and the room's a lot nicer," she said. "It's a better environment."

Susan Carretta, who has taught art in the high school for eight of her 37 years with the district, appreciated her new digs.

"There is no comparison to what we had before," she said. "It was outdated, and we had outgrown the space."

In addition to the art department, the ground floor of the two-story wing is occupied by an expanded technology education and engineering department and the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program.

On the top floor, several math and English classes were under way, while other rooms sat ready with new desks, computers and shelves full of dictionaries. The hallways were adorned in school colors -- red lockers, gray floors.

"There's not a lot of frills, not a lot of fancy things," Superintendent John DiSanti said. "It's very functional and, as a result, it's very cost-effective."

Eventually, the muddy earthen banks outside the classrooms -- evidence the school remains a construction zone -- will be landscaped so young artists can go outside to draw and ROTC instructors can conduct drills and physical training.

The district purchased modern equipment for technology education and engineering -- formerly known as industrial arts -- such as a 3-D printer and a machine that cuts prototypes to exact specifications that are computer-programmed by students.

Some of the upgrades will allow the high school to implement a new program next year called Pathway to Engineering, through which students may earn college credit.

"All these things really allow for problem-solving," technology education teacher Martin Lestander said. "We try to take it a lot further than just the old, traditional shop classes."

The classroom wing took nearly a year to build. It was designed so that a third floor could be added later, but the present expansion will accommodate current enrollment projections, Dr. DiSanti said.

A demographic study completed in 2006 found that high school population would increase by 2015 from about 1,025 to 1,225.

Dr. DiSanti said the projections have been on target so far.

Other parts of the high school project are under way and expected to continue through the end of the year.

Four new tennis courts will be paved soon and be ready for summer. They were relocated to an area across from the middle school to make space for the classroom wing.

This summer, workers will install new ceilings, floors and energy-efficient lights throughout the school's hallways.

The fitness center/weight room, including some recently purchased equipment, will move into the space formerly occupied by industrial arts. The old weight room will provide space to expand the cafeteria.

The former art rooms will be converted into administrative, guidance and nurses offices and be ready for occupancy around late October or early November.

The swimming pool area will get new lights, starting blocks and locker rooms.

Renovation of the auditorium, which has been largely demolished, is expected to last through December. Work has begun to raise the roof to accommodate a balcony with more seating and to build a rehearsal room.

When all of the work is complete, the district will remove the temporary trailers, which house some classes and offices.

"I think it will serve the students and staff for years to come," Dr. DiSanti said.