LEESBURG — School officials are criticizing what they call a “silly” decision by members of the Lee County High School graduating class to vandalize school property and are requiring those responsible to clean up the mess, the LCHS principal said Wednesday.

Sometime Monday, Principal Kevin Dowling said, at least 20 students participated in a series of pranks on the school campus in what he called their last “hoorah” as seniors.

“They just forked a field and put peanut butter on the mechanical parts of the doors and stuff like that,” Dowling said. “Most of it can and will be cleaned by the students.”

But some of the mischief isn’t so insignificant, including a spray-painted fence, which prompted the principal to voice his disappointment in the students who went that far.

But Dowling said that school authorities are content, for now, just making the students clean up their mess, and don’t intend to file criminal property damage charges unless more egregious incidents are discovered.

“There are some pranks rumored to have been done and if we find evidence of that then we will definitely be filing charges on whomever is responsible,” Dowling said.

As principal, Dowling characterized the antics as the last declaration of an accomplished senior class, but said that school officials toe the line between antics and property damage.

“You understand that kids are going to make silly decisions,” Dowling said. “But when it crosses a certain line, it becomes inappropriate and must be dealt with.”