Parents pull children from school to attend Super Bowl festivities

Brett Patton is only in 6th grade, but he is already living out a life-long dream, playing quarterback just like his hero Aaron Rogers.  

Patton is not alone. Hundreds of other children are getting the chance to make that diving, game-winning catch, or at least give it their best shot.  Most, if not all these children, are skipping school to hang out in the Super Bowl Village. 

"Shouldn't you be in school right now?" Fox59’s Joe LePage asked Patton.

"I should be, but my parents decided to take me out of school, and we are here," said Patton.


For parents like Rob Hochstetler, taking his son out of school and making the trip north from Bloomington was a tough call.

"It was a big ethics question," said Hochstetler.  “I called my wife, I asked her, 'Should we go, should we not?' and the decision was it was a once in a lifetime experience, why not go? So we came."

Tim Gallagher and his son Austin rode the zipline.  Tim said his son is learning a lesson not taught in school.

"I figure what better way to get his fear of heights out of the way then put him on the zipline," said Gallagher.

Mesa Sebree, a 7th-grader, went to school for a couple of hours, until her mom scored a rare find: five zipline tickets.

"I am so glad I did it," said Sebree.  "I never would have forgiven myself if I did not do it."

So whether it was riding the zipline, or just hitching a ride on dad's shoulders, everyone we talked to agreed making lasting memories was worth missing school, at least for one day.

"One little white lie, a day of hooky from school, it is worth it," said Gallagher.