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Our son was eligible for APP/Spectrum since 1st grade, but we opted to keep him at Pathfinder for his elementary years because, simply, he was thriving there. I have always thought that he will always be smart, but we really wanted to make sure he could also be a happy and socially adjusted member of a community, and that is an important element of Pathfinder’s vision/mission.
In elementary, I think the social/emotional aspect is equally, if not more, important than academics – especially for kids who test into APP. Again, each of our kids is unique, with different learning styles & needs, but I would ask you, if your child (and you?) are happy at your current school – what might you gain from moving?
A big factor for us was also the extra-long bus commute to/from Lowell, and I just like the idea of my kids having friends in their WS neighborhood. It depends how old your child is, too – for us, at a certain age we felt bad about moving him away from his friends.
Good luck with your decision, I know it’s a tough one!!