NYC School Kids Hate Halloween

In New York City schools, attendance drops on Halloween. Yesterday was no different, as the Times reports from empty schools with few students. Students tend to skip school (1) to trick-or-treat or (2) because Halloween is the day when kids feel it's free license to throw food and other objects at fellow students. Not much dressing up occurs at the public schools. Except at LaGuardia High School, a.k.a. the school from Fame:
"But at La Guardia High School, the city's top performing arts school, just across the street, students and teachers were all in costume. There was a parade and a contest for best costumes with various categories of awards. Some costumes were conceptual, like the teacher who came as 'self-absorbed,' her body covered in sponges."

[The photo above, taken by John Marshall Mantel for the Times, has a caption of "Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein amusing students yesterday at Public School 178 in Upper Manhattan." Gotta say, Gothamist is loving the sarcasm.]