An apparent prank disrupted finals, classes and life in general at Cooperstown Central School Tuesday morning when approximately 200 mice were let loose inside the middle/high school building.

"The education process was totally disrupted," said superintendent Mary Jo McPhail. "During fifth period, one or more students released from backpacks a large number of mice at various points throughout the building. That necessitated putting the building into a modified lockdown."

She said students were held in classrooms, the gym and cafeteria through fifth period until the end of the day and the state public health office was contacted to see if the building would need to be evacuated due to health and safety concerns. Although the building was on lockdown, McPhail said all students got lunch.

Several finals had to be rescheduled to Wednesday morning and the school's traditional cap and gown walk for seniors was postponed as well, she said.

Principals Gary Kuch and Michael Cring contacted the sheriff's office at the start of the disruption, but when it was determined that the school did not need to be evacuated, the deputy left, McPhail said.

A dispatcher at the sheriff's office confirmed that an officer had responded to a complaint at the school Tuesday, but the responding officer could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

McPhail said the administrative staff spent most of Tuesday afternoon trying to determine who had released the mice. As of Wednesday morning, they had not yet caught the culprit or culprits, but were still investigating the incident.

Contrary to some of the rumors making their way around the block, McPhail said the school prom would not be canceled and that whoever was responsible would be punished according to the student code of conduct.

"We plan on that event still being held this Saturday evening," she said.

McPhail estimated that between 150 and 200 mice were sent scurrying throughout the school by the pranksters. She described them as the type of mice used for lab purposes and said some had been painted orange, while some were naturally colored black. Orange and black are the CCS school colors.

She said the school was still in the process of capturing the mice and may never know exactly how many were released. The mice are being released into the wild at the school's nature park, she said.

"We are using approved capture methods and those are being deployed at night," she said.