Decisions, Decisions

Some of you know that we entered our boys in the lottery...the public charter school lottery, that is.  There's a great newer school that just added K through 2nd grade for the Fall that seems to be one of the most highly sought after free schools in Durham.  Matt has a connection with the principal's family and also teaches kids' CrossFit classes there, so he knows a little bit about the school from his experiences.

So there were over 600 kids to enter the lottery just on the first couple of days so I had no expectation of us "winning."  And Hillandale has been fine.  I think school in general has been good for Joshua.  We have had our disappointments with his specific situation there from time to time, but overall it's going fine.

BUT I do think that the charter school would be better educationally.  Joshua hasn't really been challenged and I don't even know if any of his teachers (including the gifted class teacher because we've never even heard from her) knows what Joshua is capable of.  The communication pretty much stinks and from my times of going in the class, it seems like a ton of busy work.  At the charter school, the boys would be there until they graduate, all the teachers would know them due to the small size, and because charter schools have more freedom, there's no keeping teachers around that aren't good.

BUT I do love the diversity there, which isn't going to be the case at the charter school, even though it's public.  And we are getting very familiar with Hillandale and Joshua knows so many kids there--even ones in other classes or other grades.  I have heard there are some really good teachers and I would hope that he would be more challenged as he gets older.  And we've heard Hillandale is going to have a middle school soon, so they'd stay there for almost their whole school career.  At the charter school, there's the risk of being with many kids who have everything (stuff-wise, I mean) and fuel the flame of materialism in Joshua that we are trying to keep at bay.

BUT kids that have everything and kids that don't are both in need of Jesus and there would be lessons to be learned from being around both types of kids.

And so, here's the dilemma:  Gray was accepted, but Joshua is 100-something on the waitlist.

According to the rules, next year at this time, if Gray were a student, Joshua (as his sibling) would have the first opportunity for a spot in the 2nd grade and if there were more 2nd grade siblings than spots available, there would be a lottery just among the siblings.  I have no idea what the chances are of him getting in.

But to take that chance, we'd have to send our boys to two different schools for the whole school year.  Do we really want the headache of two different schedules?  Do we want Joshua to get even more attached to Hillandale, making closer friends as a 1st grader, and then taking him out?  And I guess there's also the option of homeschooling him a year so that we don't have to worry about any of that, but is that just as disruptive?

So, decisions, decisions.  We have to decide by the 23rd.  Pray we'd be wise!