We commute about 1 hour round trip to get my older son to his GT school. We actually just changed day care / preschools for the little one to get closer to where big man goes to school to help with the commute b/c the old daycare was WAY out of the way. All I can say is - it has been ABSOLUTELY worth it.
Your son's experience at the new school reminds me of mine. He went for a half day visit and LOVED it. He left the montessori school where he'd been for a year and a half without so much as a backward glance, and started at the new school, mid-year without a hint of fear, nervousness or shyness (this from a boy that for the prior year and half had cried, clung on to, or in some fashion made drop-off a heart-breaker!). It just felt RIGHT. And the commute, as bone-headed as it is for us (we drive RIGHT BY OUR WORK every morning on the way to school, and don't actually arrive at work till about an hour later...) has been absolutely worth it.
I think the options Kriston suggests are great - and if you can find a way to make it all fit (i'm a big fan of evening work, for example, after the kids go to sleep) - i say it makes ALL the difference and is definitely worth it!
Good luck! (and congrats on the scholarship! what a great system!!)
SFB
