Two girls have been arrested at a Spanish Fork school in the past week after allegedly writing a hit list of students, parents, faculty and staff.

Spanish Fork police Lt. Carl Johnston said a 13-year-old student at American Leadership Academy was arrested on Oct. 6, and a 16-year-old student was arrested there on Wednesday, both on charges of making terroristic threats.

The students were not handcuffed but were taken to juvenile court, then released into their parents' custody, Johnston said.

The charges stem from a handwritten list that may have contained more than 10 names, Johnston said. "Students were talking about it in a classroom. Some students that heard the conversation knew it was wrong, and went and told faculty and staff." School personnel contacted police.

Johnston called the list a "hit list."

Assistant Director Kalin Hall said the students have been suspended pending the outcome of the charges and could eventually be expelled.

"The kids, from what I heard, said they were just joking and this, that and the other, but those are things you can't joke about," Hall said. "Prior to the things that took place at Columbine, you probably could get away with it, but in today's society, you can't get away with it, whether it's done jokingly or not."

One of the students may have been upset about moving away, he said.

Johnston said there was no indication that the girls intended to make good on the alleged threats, but the case was treated seriously nonetheless.

Making terroristic threats is a felony, if committed by an adult.

"In this day and age, you can't make those kinds of threats in a school, especially with what's happened this past week, so we're going to take the appropriate action on our end, and then if judges and attorneys want to do something different with them, that's fine," Johnston said.

For now, Hall said the students are not welcome at ALA. "They won't be allowed to come back to our school until they have the trial, and the board of directors will make the decision."

Anna Chang-Yen can be reached at 344-2549 or annac@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.