We are considering skipping 5th, trying for the Nature Academy and if we don't get in district transferring back to his current teacher's program for another year, undoing the skip, and then trying again the next year. It gives him double the chance of getting in at 6th.
I have absolutely no qualms about playing hard and fast with paperwork and silly things like grade levels.
Just a thought - while you may have no qualms about "playing hard and fast with paperwork and silly things like grade levels" - the folks at the lottery school might not be so open-minded
If you decide you want to lottery in with the grade skip and your ds *doesn't* get accepted in the first drawing of the lottery, have you looked into whether or not the school keeps a wait list? We've left our kids on waiting lists for lottery schools in our district (as well as known other families who've also left their kids on the waiting lists) and eventually they've gotten in - even if they were fairly far down the list, simply because a lot of other families opted to stay wherever they'd landed rather than switch schools after starting at one school.
Re whether or not to consider the program, I'd make that decision based on what you know about your ds and what you know about the program. Also be sure you aren't just judging the program based on a one-time school tour or reading whatever they have written up about it - try your best to find parents who's kids have attended or are attending the school and find out as much as you can about it.
polarbear
