Ita with Polarbear- it's impossible to answer that question from outside the situation. I will say that we were assured every step of the way that the next step would be better, only to find that hasn't held true for our kids.
Regarding electives, they may not be challenging (ours are generally not) but for our kids, the electives have been a welcome distraction, at least, and at their best, novel experiences they really enjoyed. For us, the more academic electives tended to disappoint (computer programming was ok, but DD often finished early and spent class time on homework for other classes, for example) but the more creative electives were worthwhile- art, photography, music, etc
Regarding regular classes, I second what polarbear said, in that they might not be challenging, but as the classes here gradually become more "tracked" the overall experience is better. Perhaps not saying much, I know. Our DD has managed ok, probably because she is quite good at self-challenge, despite what the class expectations are.
We have not tried CTY, primarily because many of the kids in DDs honors and accelerated classes attend, and based on her experiences in these classes, we weren't sure that it would be a good fit, though others on this board have described positive experiences.
