I've said before that I suspect my sons' school will close next year. Even though the administration denies it.

I can't get caught in that sticky place of having no school for my boys. Timmy and I attended an open house for a school in Howell this afternoon.

It's about the size of their present school, maybe smaller. It doesn't have a "school" feel to it. The two buildings comprising upper and lower schools are basically a central hallway running the length with classrooms off either side. The buildings have a "trailer" feel to them and the classrooms themselves are very cramped.

If Kenny stays at his present school next year, I expect his homeroom size to drop in half, maybe to 6 students total. This other school maxes out at 16 students per homeroom. And they achieve that larger class size by combining two grades in one room: K & 1st, 2nd & 3rd, etc. Every year, the make-up is different. Some years the mix is most uneven one way or the other. But every child seems to work at their own pace, so placement doesn't seem to be very crucial.

What I like: the teachers and the administration. Monthly field-trips. Personalized curriculum. The opportunity to learn two of three languages: French, Spanish and modern Hebrew instead of only Spanish. Did I mention that this school is located near Lakewood?

What I don't like: cost is the same (no savings). Three-times the drive time (10 mins. vs. 30 mins.) - so wear & tear on my car, gas money, increased risk of accidents, plus later start time (9 AM instead of 8:30 AM) together with being so far from "my element" (in Howell instead of in Manalapan) that I'll have trouble making any of my morning activities: swimming, Bible study, daily Mass. The bus starts at $3800 and, since I'm not saving anything on tuition, I can't swing the cost of the bus. I don't want my kids on a bus anyway. I like taking them to school.

So, as I told my husband after the open house, if I could figure out a way to get them there, then it's their next school. I'll put the application in, schedule their "visit days" for early next month and see how things progress, especially at their current school. I still have time to make a decision, I think. And the dean of admissions there told me that there are still openings in the grades that I am interested in for Fall '07.