Hello Cricket2,
I don't know your situation beyond what you have described so I am overstepping a little. I hope you'll overlook it, but I feel like I can see myself in your thought processes and I know that I sometimes chew at a dilemma until I convince myself that the offbeat choice is the right one, when really the obvious choice is the right one, just not what I had hoped for.
I think you are over thinking the schools comparison. Of course there is the question of what school is right for what child, but in general, a better school is a better school. It seems counter-intuitive to me to seek out a lower performing school for a child with a 99.9% GAI, even if her abilities are uneven. And if she's having a tough time emotionally, it seems a like an unnecessary risk to put her in a school farther away with kids she doesn't know. Not to mention that the additional stress on you is going to be felt by her. Maybe only a tiny bit, but she won't be unaffected.
Do you think it is possible to keep the p/t job and home school? If you have to pay for tutoring and childcare, but can keep your job you might still be better off financially than if you quit your job to drive your daughter to work. Also you could have more control over the curriculum and use this control to help your daughter develop the skills/knowledge to re-enter your local system in a couple of years.
Could part of your home school curriculum be a home-based business? I know you've already determined that this would not be financially lucrative, but something is better than nothing and it would be a great experience for your daughter.
