PARIS – Four male students were expelled from SAD 17 schools Monday by the Board of Directors after separate executive sessions.

Two of the expulsions were related, and involved Oxford Hills Middle School students who got involved in an act of violence on school property, said Superintendent Mark Eastman.

The other expulsions involved students at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and were unrelated, he said. One of the high school students was involved in an act of violence, and another was expelled for being deliberately disobedient over a period of time.

“If a student gets four out-of-school suspensions, that gets you an automatic ticket to the board” for an expulsion hearing, Eastman said.

Board Chairman Dale Piirainen said the four expulsions represent a “spike” in expulsions, but are not indicative of a trend of disciplinary problems at the two schools.

Eastman agreed with that assessment. The last time the board expelled a student was three or four months ago, he said.

A study was done this school year that tracked expulsions over the past eight years.

Eastman said he didn’t have numbers on how many expulsions have occurred this year, but “I don’t think (Monday’s four expulsions) represents a significant change to that average pattern.”

High School Principal Joe Moore acknowledged at a recent board meeting that some students were skipping school-ordered Saturday detentions, and that the problem would be addressed.