Help...I need your advise!

[bugsmom]

O.K...I'm in complete tizzy trying to figure out where to send Josh to High School next year. If we don't make this decision soon, I'm going to go insane.

So here's our choices...

School #1: Small Private Christian High School, five minutes from our house. When I say small, I mean small. Freshman class so far is only 28 kids. Not a whole lot of classes to choose from, but lots of individual attention. Pretty pricey, but I could go back to work and still get him to and from school. We took him to the open house and he wasn't thrilled. He thought it was too small and I have to agree. No sparks from him at all.

School #2: Another Private Christian High School, also five minutes away by car, but not as small. Freshman class is at about 65 kids as of now. Very challenging curriculum, but I know he could do it. The school is VERY into sports. Almost all the kids go there to play sports and earn scholarships. Josh hates sports and wouldn't be involved at all. He would know quite a few kids he went to school with from his last private school, so he feels comfortable with that. Very pricey, but I could work for him to go. He wouldn't mind going here.

School #3: Charter School (Yeah, no tutition), awesome school, great curriculum, nice size (about 75 to 100 kids per grade). Took him to this schools open house and he fell in love with it immediately! One, problem...we didn't realize how far it was from our home. It takes 25 to 30 mins to drive each way. So, that would mean 2 hours a day of driving time for me, unless I can find a carpool. No buses provided. Which in turn, means I can't go back to work! Arrrrggggg!

School #4: Public High School. This would actually be our last resort, but we have school of choice here and it's actually in the city next to us. BIG school, 400 incoming freshman. He said he'd be petrified, but I think he could do it. Lots of choices in the curriculum and not a bad school. He would know some kids there, including his cousin.

I don't know what to do. I feel with him homeschooling the past two years we really need to be careful where we put him. I want him to feel comfortable, be happy, and really want to be back in school. I'm so afraid if I make the wrong choice I'll screw everything up and we'll be right back to the anxiety ridden kid I had two years ago. Please give me your input...I trust you all.

Sorry so long...thanks for your help.

[misty]

Are you sure there are no buses for the Charter school? The charter we are sending Shannon to doesn't provide buses either & they take kids from any district, no matter how far. However, the district each kid is in MUST provide busing to & from school because it is part of the public school system.After Shannon has all her enrollment papers in I'll need to go to our district's administrative building & sign her up to get a bus.

[charliegirl]

Is there any way you can find out who from your area will be going to the charter school? It would have to be someone he would be comfortable riding with as well as a driver you trust.

I think either school number 1 or 2 would be a good choice. What have you heard from his cousin in school number 3. Is it dangerous? That would weigh in heavily with me. He would have a better chance of finding a group of friends with the same interests there but will you be comfortable with the curriculum?

I'm a lot of help, aren't I?

I say go with your gut and what you can afford.

[katiekat]

I think the charter school sounds best just because Josh liked it so much. Having him go in with a positive attitude toward the school will probably be a big help with his anxiety.
My niece in DE is going to a charter school next year and just like the school Shannon will be attending there is bussing from the district.
What does Josh say?

[bugsmom]

Thanks for the replies...

KK...Josh wants to go to the charter school. He just loved the school and I also thought it was the best "fit" for him. He does realize that it would be a HUGE sacrafice for me to take him to and from school, so I think he laying low because of that. Having just quit a job I loved last month because of the toll of homeschooling and working, he's pretty sensitive about it. My employer wants me to come back as soon as he's back in school, but if we choose the charter I couldn't. Not enough hours in the day.

Misty...our district will not bus anyone out of district unless it's special ed. The district that the charter is in won't cover it either. They do however have bus pick-up at certain points in the community, but you have to pay for it and it doesn't come out as far as we live. I do know that they do have a carpool club, but I need to check that out more.

I think I'm going to have Josh shadow a student at the first small school. He didn't want to do it, but I think he would get a better idea of how they operate. He can go for a half a day, or a full day. He's agreed to do a half a day. I just don't want to force him to go somewhere he won't like. But on the other hand, my workplace (if I go back) would be right around the corner. It would be perfect....for me. But its not about me.

So stressful....I just want the choosing to be over!!

[jill]

Considering the issues in school I would go for the smaller private school your second choice. I say it because it is hard out there for Annette is struggling the kids in the district has her labeled in a negative way and she has No friends. She gets one or two who befriend her but never last due to peer pressure. My heart breaks daily and I am worried about middle school.

[peachesncream]

I would say school # 2 Its a compromise for both of you and i am sure that the kids there are interested in other things besides sports... and you never know maybe he will "try" a sport after seeing how the others are enjoying it. And that would be a great thing.

[puzzled]

The shadowing is a good idea! If that does not help him to want to attend that school, look into the carpool club. I was thinking about suggesting that you look into a carpool then I read that there was a carpool club.

Good luck! I really want Chase to switch schools next year, but he will not even discuss it.

[bugsmom]

I meant to get back to this thread for awhile now and let you guys know what we decided. Well, we're going for the charter school. Although its so far from home, and I'll have to go back to working nights again, it's really the best fit for Josh right now. I so want his first year back to school to be a good one, and he was the most excited about this school.

Still looking into the carpooling situation. The school said that they wouldn't know until the middle of summer where all the kids are going to be coming from. It's a little glimmer of hope that I won't have to spend 2 hours in the car commuting everyday. I'm still a little on the fence about this, but we're moving forward.

I think I'm a little sad that after having him home for two years I have to send him back into shark infested waters. I know, I know, not a good attitude, but he's still so sensitive and immature for his age. Who knows, maybe sending him back will be the best for him. It's just hard to let go.

[misty]

Well, you & I can compare notes next year with both our kids going from home schooling to charter school. I know Charter schools are much more vigilant about respect & treating each other kindly than public schools are. I think they'll both do fine. I'm willing to bet you & I are much more scared than the kids are! LOL