Scotty McCreery Will Hit the School Books on the Road

'American Idol' winner Scotty McCreery acknowledged earlier this year he was torn about whether to finish his senior year in his hometown high school of Garner Magnet, or stay out of school to pursue his red-hot music career. Now, the 17-year-old has made up his mind, with only days to spare!

"School is starting up pretty soon, so I am going to have to get everything in order," he reveals to CMIL. "Mama is a certified K through 12 teacher so she is going to be teaching me on the road and I can promise you she ain't going to be giving me no slack!"

The North Carolina native adds that just because he decided to skip the traditional educational system this year, he doesn't expect his final year to be an easy one. "Miss McCreery was a mean teacher back in the day," he notes. "Nah, she likes that rep but she was nice ... so she'll be on me!"

The decision to forgo his senior year with his classmates was one the former grocery store clerk didn't take lightly. "I'm still a kid," he acknowledges. "This is a huge thing for me, this 'Idol' thing and starting my career early, but I don't want to miss out on all those memories that everybody has from senior [year]. So hopefully I can get back for some high school football games and have a little bit of fun."

The 'I Love You This Big' singer concedes his age may make him face some other challenges his older counterparts can avoid. "Teen males have never really made it in country music, so it's going to be tough for me," he tells The Boot. "I've talked to people who've laid out a game plan, but there's no formula for me. We can't go by what other guys are doing who are 40 years old in this industry. We have to go by something totally new and hope it works. I'm looking forward to seeing how the country world embraces a teen male country singer."

Scotty will spend the next few months on the road, performing as part of the American Idol Live! tour, as well as doing a few solo dates. His debut album, 'Clear as Day,' will hit shelves October 4. Keep track of his concert schedule here.