CENTRAL, LA (WAFB) -
Christmas might be five days away, but some students might get a late gift when they go back to school Jan. 4, 2012.
An eighth grader at Victory Academy in Central started a petition to close the school for one day next month. And, it appears more than 600 people say his reasoning is relevant.
Will Aaron, 14, said he was at Texas Stadium when the LSU Tigers dominated the Oregon Ducks. Now, he wants to be in the Superdome to watch the Tigers-Tide part two. He asked his principal, Sue Cashio, how he could get the day off to tailgate. He said she suggested he start a petition.
"I had about 374 one day and I went and asked her if she would look at them," Aaron explained. "She said, 'Oh no, I want you to have 500,' and I thought at that point it was crazy because there's only 350 people in the school."
Cashio said she wanted the student to get at least 100 signatures from students and parents before she would consider closing the school.
In four days, Will said he collected 644 signatures. Students, parents and every teacher signed the petition.
"Well, first they asked me were they going to lose their job. I said, 'No, you're fine. Mrs. Cashio told me this was appropriate,'" Aaron said.
He said he stood in the car pool line at the school, asking people to sign his petition and collected signatures at the school's Christmas program.
Even the principal's daughter, a former student, signed the petition.
His mother, Shannon, is an English teacher at the school. She had her students write persuasive letters to the principal. Some of those letters state there will be lots of absences on Jan. 9 and students will be inattentive. Others wrote Jan. 10 should be the day off because teachers and students will be tired after the game.
However, not everyone is in favor of the student's petition.
"I've had a couple people tell me that they're paying for school, so we need to get our money's worth," Aaron added.
The principal of Victory Academy said she'll be talking with parents over the winter break and make her decision on Jan. 4.
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