By Dan Breitwieser, WCJB TV 20 News.

The boy made it about three-tenths of a mile from High Springs Community School Friday morning before someone passing by stopped. There's about 950 kids in grades K-8, but for a short time Friday, there was one fewer than they thought.

It's pretty obvious that Neal Braddy isn't your average five-year-old... reading books to his father in what should be his third week of kindergarten. What he did Friday, wasn't very average either.

"I ran out that {back} gate, instead of the gate straight ahead," says Neal. "She {the teacher} didn't know I was leaving because I was so sneaky."

Neal says he went behind some mobile units, and around the back of the school before walking out the back sidewalk. But the way home wasn't all sidewalk, walking in the grass along County Road 236 with traffic whizzing by.

The flashing light of the school zone is just visible from where a family acquaintance stopped him, about three-tenths of a mile from the school.

Neal's father Darrell Braddy says he was mad at first, "and then the more you sit and think about something like this, it just kind of tears you up inside."

High Springs Community School Principal Jeff Means says the school administration and staff take responsibility for what happened.

"Bottom line is we're the adults," says Means. "The teachers, we're responsible for children. That's what parents count on."

Neal says he told his teacher he was sick from allergies and wanted to go home. But Means says the teacher told him Neal never complained to her.

Means met with the parents Tuesday and sent this apology letter outlining seven steps the school was taking so it wouldn't happen again. As of Tuesday, there's a lock on the back gate to make it that much more difficult for someone else to leave unnoticed.

But Neal isn't going back. His parents have decided to home school him and punished him by not buying him a promised video game.