Does the gifted school offer scholarships, or are you in that unenviable position of making too much to qualify for aid but not enough to actually afford the school? Just a thought...It might be worth asking about.
Any way to keep the principal out of it? I realize that's unlikely now that he's involved, but he seems to be the only one not on board.
Can you provide some independent study sorts of things for your son to do during school? If the teacher doesn't have to think about him a whole lot, she may be more willing to let him move at his own pace (again, quietly circumventing the principal).
If not, I'm thinking you might have to take this to the next level, over the principal's head. I'm no expert, so get ***LOTS*** of advice before you even THINK of going that route because it could backfire! But if the problem is the principal, and he seems pretty solidly and philosophically opposed to serving the needs of GT kids, then I don't know how you work with that. Educate him? Put the request for a grade skip in writing? Maybe?
It's a rough one, I think. I'm sorry! {{{Hugs!}}}
