While no one will be totally lost next year in the Shaler Area School District, there will still be some big changes going on that Superintendent Dr. Don Lee wants to explain to the public.

That's why Lee held a "Vision for the Future" presentation last week and will hold another at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) at the Shaler Area Middle School on Scott Avenue.

Lee said there hasn't been a bombardment of concerned phone calls or e-mails, but he feels it's important for everyone to understand exactly what will be different.

"It was our intent all along to do a community presentation," Lee said. "It's just an attempt to let the public be aware of what it is we're doing."

One of the biggest changes that will affect the students is the new grade configurations. After extensive renovations at the high school and the school at Scott Avenue, which should conclude by August of this year, grades will be moved around to better accommodate the students.

Currently, the elementary schools are half-day kindergarten through fourth grade. The middle school is grades 5 through 7. The intermediate school is grades 8 and 9. The high school is 10, 11 and 12.

Starting with the 2008 school year, the primary schools will be full-day kindergarten through third-grade in the current elementary buildings. The elementary school will be grades 4 through 6 in the building on Scott Avenue. The middle school will be grades 7 and 8 in the building on Mt. Royal Boulevard. The high school will be 9 through 12 in the current high school building.

The change in buildings coincides with updates in the curriculum and scheduling that are intended to push the students to excel to new levels.

The plan for the future was developed after committees studied previously successful education practices and came up with their "Vision." The goals at the high school, for instance, are to increase rigor, decrease the achievement gap and improve overall instruction.

For residents who can't make it to either of the presentations, Lee has done everything he could to make information accessible.

The PowerPoint presentation is available in full on the district's Web site at www.sasd.k12.pa.us. Students in the high school are videotaping the presentation and will make it available on Comcast channel 98. Any questions from the audience will be listed and answered at the second session and posted on the Web site.

"There is going to be some change and people will have to adjust to it," he said. "When the dust settles and the school opens, people are going to see the great results through the changes."