One week into the school year, McKeesport Area students may be noticing some new faces, facilities and programs.

Younger students may find themselves in different rooms and buildings while they wait for construction to finish on Francis McClure and Cornell elementary/intermediate schools and as the school board continues to decide where to build the new McKeesport Elementary/Intermediate School.

At a meeting Aug. 18, directors accepted proposals from two firms that will survey what the board is calling the Bertoty/Smith/Sun Land property.

The district will pay Pittsburgh-based Phillips & Associates for surveying services and Murrysville-based American Geosciences Inc. for environmental assessment of the property, which spans 14 acres between Christy Park and Grandview Avenue.

No costs were available, but business manager Dave Seropian said previously that the board has spent about $200,000 on testing for other sites.

School board member Mark Holtzman said the board expects to decide on a site next month and still anticipates opening the school in 2012.

The district's $46.4 million plan to consolidate its five elementary facilities into three includes an $8 million renovation to create Francis McClure Elementary/Intermediate School, a $25.2 million construction of the new McKeesport Elementary/Intermediate School and a new $29 million Cornell Elementary/Intermediate School.

Once complete, the district will close Centennial, White Oak and George Washington elementary schools.

While asbestos is being removed from Cornell before it is demolished to make way for the new building --which eventually will serve Centennial, White Oak and George Washington students -- fourth-graders from there will attend White Oak and Francis McClure, fifth-graders will be at Centennial and sixth-graders will attend Francis McClure.

Former Cornell Principal Pamela Gordon will join Rula Skezas at McClure, where they will share administrative duties.

Former high school principal Karen Chapman will now serve as principal at Founders' Hall Middle School, and Tamara Sanders-Woods, former associate principal of discipline and community relations, will serve as principal at White Oak.

Other administrative moves include last month's hiring of Mark Holtzman Jr. as head high school principal with an $80,000 annual salary. The younger Mr. Holtzman previously served as dean of discipline for West Mifflin School District.

On the heels of nepotism accusations and capacity crowds at two previous board meetings, the elder Mr. Holtzman maintained his son was hired for his ability and not because he is related to a school board member. He said his son will have a doctorate degree in six months and that all of his children work in education.

"Our whole family has 120 years in civil service," he said, naming several relatives who have served on fire and police squads in addition to working in schools.

He and other board members commended the administration for making Adequate Yearly Progress on the annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests.

Administrators also said that the Administrative Academy -- which pairs students with administrators and businesses to see school lessons applied in the working world -- will continue this year.

Administrators also said the district will have more coaches -- but for teachers, not athletes.

Ten instructional coaches will work throughout the district to support the teaching staff. The coaches previously have worked in the elementary schools, and their presence will expand in those schools and technology, reading and math coaches will be added throughout the middle school and high school.

To further improve test scores, the district is partnering with Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy and targeting children from birth to age 9 as it encourages daily reading and development.

The program kicked off Aug. 21 with a Stories in the Park event co-hosted by the high school's child development department, Carnegie Library of McKeesport, the Family Club and the Altrusa Club.

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