Gulinger Private Academy has a way of taking the fun out of Christmas break. . . This year includes a school-wide exam.

But when the scores come back, Matthew Calamori and friends learn the deeper reason behind the testing session. It is not just the usual yearly assessment. But something so life-changing that Rick Deacon is keeping secrets again from his pals.

Gulinger High may be splitting into two schools. One for the intellectual elite. The other for the rest. The question is, who will go to which school? And what can they do to stop it? If they can. . .