New school

So we've been putting off the inevitable for a long time, but Ds school ends with 3rd grade, so we have to decide where he's going next year. Soon! This week I finally went to a couple of schools (including the public one), and that opens a whole 'nother can of worms.

Apparently the FOLLOWING year (5th grade) there are several public magnet schools that ONLY take kids starting in 5th grade. So if he goes to one of those, we are looking at only a one year time at whichever school. Of course, none of the magnet schools have a 4th grade.

Our public school has "open-concept" classrooms, which seem icky but I've never actually experienced them. Also each class has 25-28 kids, but since it is open concept there are really about 100 kids in each room (with 4 teachers). That is a huge difference from where he's been, but it's already paid for!

Private school #1 is very much like where he's been going, but about 2ce as big. Also more expensive. AND it only goes through 5th grade, although it sounds like most of their students go to the magnet schools at 5th grade. It would probably be a good fit, as it is very close to Js work (we'd have to drive him).

Public School #2 (out of district) has an excellent gifted program. He has taken the test and may or may not qualify to be in, and if he does we would be at the bottom of the list (very limited space) as we are out of district. That also means we have to drive him, it is by the Costco - which means about an hour of driving round trip. Not the worst, but every day that gets really old.

Private School #2 is a Christian school, and I'm kinda not wild about the religious aspect of it, but I'm more worried about the academic part. Haven't actually gone to this one yet, they seem really unorganized and that also makes me nervous (doesn't everything?) It would probably be slightly cheaper than the other private school. It is farther away but not as far as the OOD public school.

There are other options (like homeschool - argh!!!) but they are even more driving, and I am just hating the idea of him commuting for 2 hours every day at 10.