The School Board voted last week to suspend all 10 students involved in the March 24 high school vandalism for “up to 10 school days,” in addition to the 10 days they were suspended immediately after the vandalism, for “being deliberately disobedient.”

Superintendent Alan Hawkins has declined to specify what aspect of the middle-of-the-night vandalism constituted “being deliberately disobedient.” He did not return repeated telephone calls seeking comment.

Officials say the 10 students gained access to the school late Sunday night, March 23, when one of them climbed in through an open window and unlocked a door. The school has no alarms, and the students disabled security video cameras with tape so they would not be identified.

They then allegedly emptied classrooms of furniture, stuffed furniture in bathroom stalls, removed and damaged ceiling tiles, smeared peanut butter on door knobs and wrote obscene and drug-related graffiti on the walls. The damage was discovered by a custodian Monday morning.

Police have referred the matter to the district attorney’s office for review and possible criminal prosecution. Police Chief Neil Williams said the perpetrators could face criminal mischief and criminal trespass charges.

“The case is being reviewed by our office and we have no further comment at this time,” said Robyn Dahms, the legal administrative supervisor in the district attorney’s office.

Williams said 10 students came to the school and confessed on their own shortly after the vandalism was discovered.

“There were four there (when police arrived),” he said. “By the time we had finished interviewing the first four, the rest had come in.”

Residents say the students have spent much of their suspension cleaning trash off roads and doing other community service.

On April 3, according to minutes of their meeting, School Board members voted to revise their earlier motions to suspend students for 10 days to “up to 10 days.” The students will also have to obey restrictions of a behavior contract, whose terms will be decided by the superintendent. Hawkins has declined to comment on whether the students will graduate with their class and other terms of the contract.

The students, all seniors, nine males and one female, have not been identified by school officials or police.

Tight-lipped school officials are saying little about the incident. High school Principal Jeffrey Shedd did not return repeated telephone calls for comment over several days. School Board members Kathy Ray, Patricia Brigham, Linda Winker, Karen Burke and Peter Cotter did not return telephone calls seeking comment. School Board member Jack Kennealy declined comment. School Board member Rebecca Millett could not be reached for comment.