What I did was stay vigilant with the charter school option - turning in all the paperwork exactly when they said.

DS was drawn for a spot in the classroom right away. The school did eventually accept as far down as the 10th child on the waiting list.

To help you decide your backup plan, maybe read "The Least-Worst Educational Option" on Hoagies' Gifted at http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/least-worst.htm