I live in Louisiana and hunt in South Arkansas. Up there, they close school on the first Monday and Tuesday after the season opens on Saturday. No big deal, as long as the school gets in the required number of classroom days, then it shouldn't matter what the "holidays" are for. Down here, the schools always close for two days for Mardi Gras.
Also, when I was in school, I missed classes for school related sports, livestock shows, and hunting. I was in honors classes for 12 years and graduated in the top 10 in my class. My parents did not have a problem with me missing, BUT, they always were on top of my schoolwork making sure I made it up and never got behind, or the extra curricular activities would have "gone out the window". I think that is the key, that the parents need to be involved and know the child well enough to know when it is o.k. to give that kind of reward.
Smoky