Monday, November 25, 2013

Some rural schools close for start of deer season

Thanksgiving and Black Friday make this a short school week for many students, but another element may make it a complete holiday week for some: deer season. In some states, schools close at the start of the season because they know absenteeism will be so high if they hold classes.

One such state is Missouri. Jennifer Davidson of the KSMU Radio Network reported Friday, "Several small school districts across the rural Ozarks were closed earlier this week—Dora, Winona, Eminence.  That’s because it’s the start of deer firearms season."

Merlyn Johnson, superintendent of Summersville Public Schools, estimated for Davidson that three-fourths of his students hunt: “This is a country community, and it means a lot to the people here. They hunt with their dads and their grandfathers. It’s part of a family tradition—boys and girls. In fact, I’d say the percentage is about the same for boys and girls.”

"And these kids aren’t missing class just for the sport," Davidson reported. "Family tradition and food have as much to do with it as anything, particularly in rural areas." Francis Skalicky of the state Department of Conservation told her, “For some people, it spices up the menu of pork, chicken and beef. But for some people, this is meat on the table that they plan on having this time of year.” (Read more)

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