I really don't want to settle for "meh, maybe they can keep him occupied with kids his own age, and then we'll do the real schooling at home."
I hear you there. We crossed out public schools and some of private schools off our list too for that reason, for now anyway.
There is a private GT school about 30 minutes drive from us (more like an hour because of the traffic) and I crossed that off too because for us, that's too far from where we live and from where we work.
When I was looking for a new string teacher for DD4, I came to a realization that while I value her education, her schedule has to work for her parents too. Maybe I'm not the most supportive parent for thinking this but at some point, there has to be a balance within the family.
We can't find the right school for DD either although the new micro school does sound very promising. Our current plan for Kindergarten next year is to keep DD at her outdoor program part-time so she can play with friends. We'll add science lab once a week and homeschool her for math just so that she doesn't stagnate. I don't feel the need for formal language art curriculum until she is a little older. Maybe I'm getting too relaxed about things but I want DD to have another year of outdoor free play and enjoy being 5.
ETA: I do realize that is easier for me to say since DD's main passion these days is music and her needs in that area is being met by 3 private teachers. Still, if I thought I'd have to drive 2 hours to get her to the right teacher...I don't think I have it in me to do that, even on a weekly basis.
ETA2: If you are truly certain that this school is the best fit for your DS and other alternatives are not acceptable, then, I'd move closer to the school so the commute for the little one isn't so taxing.
