The opening of school will be relatively ordinary in the Moon Area School District.

The second semester will not be.

After classes end for Christmas break in December, moving crews will descend on the high school and empty it out. When teachers and students return in January, it will be a new year in a new school: the district's $75 million gem, now under construction behind the middle school.

"This is going to be one of the best Christmas presents ever for this whole community," senior high school principal Mike Hauser said.

The new school features an eight-lane Olympic-size swimming pool, an auditorium Mr. Hauser described as "Benedum-like," a TV studio and modern science and art rooms, among other amenities.

"I could go on all day about the things we'll be able to do in this facility," Mr. Hauser said. Among others, the whole student body will actually fit in the auditorium, which has not been possible. And the gymnasium is large enough that the district will hold graduation ceremonies there, instead of being forced to move it to Robert Morris University.

Meanwhile, there will be a few minor inconveniences. For one, crews came in and removed the floor tiles from the current high school this summer, preparing for a renovation which will turn it into a middle school. So the floors are not the prettiest right now.

On the plus side, though, that gave the school a "dry run" at packing up and moving, Mr. Hauser said -- and he's encouraging teachers to leave things packed if they won't need them in the first half of the year.

Some office functions have also been moved to the middle school, another minor inconvenience.

Finally, classes will have to do without interactive whiteboards for the last couple of weeks before Christmas. Mr. Hauser said they would be removed and transferred early so they can be up and running on day one in the new building.

But it all will be worth it, and then some.

"I can't wait to get it open and show it off," Mr. Hauser said.

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