AURORA, Colo. -- A Young Marines drill team commander suspended from high school for having the team's mock rifles in the back of her car will return to class next Wednesday.

Marie Morrow was suspended for 10 days from Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora after the wooden replica rifles were found in her sport utility vehicle in the school parking lot.

A hearing on her punishment was held Thursday and she learned Friday that she was expelled for time served under the suspension, according to her lawyer, David Lane.

"I'm glad to be going back to school," Morrow told 7NEWS Friday afternoon.

Her expulsion was mandatory under state law, whether the weapons were fake or not, school officials said.

"The fact of expulsion was never in question. Marie Morrow has been expelled. The length of her expulsion is the six days she has already been out of school. There is no school Monday or Tuesday due to the holiday, so she will return Wednesday," said Cherry Creek School District spokeswoman Tustin Amole.

She said according the state law, expulsion can be for a period of one day to one year, or as in this case, for the time of the student has already been out of school. It does not mandate permanent removal.

Superintendent Mary Chesley made the decision to expel Morrow for time served after reviewing Thursday's expulsion hearing report, state statute, district policy, and the hearing officer's recommendation.

"There were never any facts in dispute. The student was forthright about having the facsimile drill team rifles in her car on school property because she had drill team practice with her Douglas County Young Marine group after school," Chesley said.

Chesley said she had no choice but to expel Morrow.

"According to those laws, expulsion shall be mandatory for the carrying, bringing, using, or possessing a dangerous weapon on school district property," she said.

Federal and state laws, along with school board policy, define a dangerous weapon as "A firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or a firearm facsimile that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm."

"The rules for safety in all parts of our lives have changed over time as previously assumed safe places, including schools, have become targets for violence. School administrators must be fully cognizant and responsible for all the children in their care. The weight of that responsibility requires increased vigilance and putting into place structures that are unique to school settings. Therefore, laws have been enacted and are enforced to keep children safe at school," Chesley said.

School officials were notified about the mock rifles after students who were smoking in the parking lot spotted them in the back of the SUV, Morrow said. School officials on Friday praised those students for being alert.

"In conjunction with implementing safety statutes and school board policies, the training of students and staff and focused attention to our surroundings are necessary to keep children safe," Chesley said.

Morrow is a senior in advanced placement classes with a 3.5 grade point average. She's a member of the youth leadership and life skills program for students and plans to attend the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy when she graduates. The academy is one of five service academies. The Young Marines is a youth leadership program of the Marine Corps League, an organization for current and former Marines.

Morrow said the Young Marines program has "been a big part of my life. It pretty much shapes who I am and what I want to do in the future."

Morrow's story has spurred some lawmaker to reconsider the "zero-tolerance" law governing firearms on school property. State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, said he plans to introduce a bill in the Legislature next week that would exempt facsimile weapons from the zero-tolerance law.

"We are just trying to add a little bit of discretion to situations that are not a threat in any way," Lundberg said Thursday.

"I do not believe that the circumstances of this situation warrant the severe calendar year penalty that legislators intended when this statute was enacted," Chesley said. "We understand that lawmakers will be taking another look at the statute and we look forward to any clarification to the intent of the law they may be able to provide."

The law and policy do not mandate expulsion if a student arrives at school and reports they inadvertently brought onto the school grounds a prohibited item, the school district said. The facsimiles are also permissible if used in an authorized school activity.

Cherokee Trails High School is located near East Arapahoe Road and East Smoky Hill Road.