Okay, so let me understand-- you lose your place at the current magnet just by APPLYING to the gifted magnet? Or that you'd have to give it up if he went there?
No, I don't think that I'd do the former if my child were happy in the current placement and only had another year in the gifted magnet anyway.
Can he be identified as gifted without applying to the second magnet? That might accomplish the same goals at middle school.
Here's the thing about full-time gifted magnets and pull-outs:
the former tends to have higher academic output and performance expectations than the latter. In general, I mean. Often the content of pull-outs isn't necessarily gifted-specific, even-- but it is often fun and engaging.
Given the other possible issues that you list, I think that I'd be reluctant to do a placement into a gifted magnet unless you had some reason to think that the data you have about his level of giftedness is likely to be incorrect, or if he were clearly NEEDING more and acting out in some way. Even so, I'd want more information and a clear plan on handling what seem to be some very significant disability issues.
A pull-out that is enjoyable comes with less pressure on performance, and-- again being VERY honest-- probably less pressure on the areas of weakness in particular, and also quite likely more emphasis on the kinds of things his profile suggests he needs more of-- learning to play chess or other high-level strategy games, doing puzzles, team challenges, maybe robotics or programming, etc. Right? What is it that your DS likes about this pull-out?
A child with a D in language arts is probably not a good candidate for a gifted magnet unless there is a clear reason behind that grade that has to do with a lack of obvious accommodations for a disability.
You have some leads on possible disability-- please follow those things up. That letter grade in language arts probably does not reflect his ability, but his difficulty with written language. Left alone, such problems are likely to be an increasing barrier to success.
