According to Principal Kevin Skelly, the male student was expelled for violating several sections of the California Education Code, including damaging school property and disrupting school activities. He is the third student expelled out of four who were considered for expulsion; one was dismissed. Those four were among eight students linked to three separate cheating incidents, one of which involved the use of a KeyKatcher, a device used to obtain passwords by downloading keystrokes. The remaining four who were not up for expulsion were suspended.

The fourth student expelled, a female, was not directly linked to cheating, but was charged with engaging in habitual profanity and threatening to cause physical injury to others. She and the three others will not be allowed to return to the school until the next school year.

"It's been a long and complex process," said District Superintendent Dr. Cindy Ranii. "We're pleased that there are no more pending expulsions coming to the board."

On a different note, the March 15 deadline for teachers and staff to receive layoff notices is approaching, but Ranii said she doubts those within the district would be greatly affected due to cost-saving measures taken within the past school years.

"We'll basically have the same level of staffing this year as last year," she said. "We do not anticipate any layoff notices going out to permanent staff."

District staff retention, not including temporary and classified staff, is the result of the district not offering pay increases for employees and freezing many positions through the years.