MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – This year’s senior prank has left a mark on Montpelier High School that school officials don’t plan to erase.

The class of 2005 painted a large celestial mural on a ceiling in the main lobby of the school apparently between midnight and 4 a.m. Tuesday, Principal Peter Evans said.

Evans said when he returned to school on Tuesday after the holiday weekend, he looked up at the mural and thought it was an art class project.

He soon learned that it was the senior prank, a tradition that usually has a more troublesome impact on the school. About 170 ceiling tiles were painted, he said.

“In this position we try to figure out how to deal with a case of vandalism that’s really quite beautiful,” Evans said.

In previous years, the departing class removed books from library shelves, piled snow in front of entrances, and even brought a portable toilet into the school, Evans said. This year’s prank is reflective of the graduating class, Evans said, because they are creative and often challenge school administration to think about what is right and wrong.

The school will not discipline or press charges against the students for entering or vandalizing school property, the principal said.

“It’s beautiful, I think everyone agrees that it’s beautiful. We’re enjoying it right now, and we don’t plan on removing it or eliminating it,” Evans said.

Students may have tried to paint the mural early Friday morning.

Police logs indicate an alarm monitoring a window went off shortly after midnight. A police officer made reference in a police log that the ceiling tiles may be painted. Police reviewed surveillance tapes of the school, which showed only police in the building.

No alarm went off Monday night or Tuesday morning, though the school resource officer had reported finding a door ajar on Monday, Montpelier Police Chief Doug Hoyt said Tuesday.

A surveillance camera was covered up Tuesday morning, according to Evans, so school officials couldn’t tell who the artists were.

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Information from: The Times Argus, http://www.timesargus.com/

AP-ES-06-01-05 1434EDT