Public or Private? I'm losing sleep.

I'm going through a big dilemma at the moment.  My son is almost five years old and will be entering Kindergarten next fall in 2009.  He missed the cut off for this 2008  school year, so he'll be close to six when he enters Kindergarten.

Currently in a pre-K program, his preschool is sixteen hours a week.  Sixteen hours.  That's more hours than he'll be attending Kindergarten next September, if he goes to our local public school.

It seems totally insane.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those Moms who is eager to rush my kid out the door for the day.  But he LOVES school.  I mean totally and completely adores school.  The one day a week he doesn't attend school, he wakes up upset and I have to spend five minutes that day promising him some sort of fun activity that day.  He's so upset not seeing his friends.

And it's not just the fact that he loves school.  He's eager to learn. He comes home excited to tell me about the letters he's learned, the songs he can now sing, or the craft he did that day. So I'm torn for next year.  Our public elementary school is 2 1/2 hours long.  I've gone to look at a few local private schools and I've seen one I like a lot but it's almost seven hours long.  Seriously, seven hours?  I don't understand why there isn't something in between.

If I send him to public school, I fear he will be bored.  Yet the private schools we're considering seems too long - and I'll miss him!  A good part of me wants that one last year to have him around as he'll be full time soon enough. Of course the hours aren't the only issue.  The private school seemed more disciplined and had more resources available to the kids in Kindergarten.  Of course the public school is "free."  And hubby says "we went to public school and we're just fine." 

I have until January 1's registration date to decide.  My husband says I'm over-thinking the issue.  I'm sure I am, but he's my first baby and I want to make the right decision.  I don't take his education lightly.

This is an original post to Philly Moms Blog.