<p>Not trying to be argumentative, but I don’t see why being 15 in 8th grade is not an option for a kid who’s on the small side and struggling socially. </p>
<p>Plenty of parents hold kids back for more than a year to give kids an edge in sports. Just as an example, there’s a star football QB here in the L.A. area who is 19 as a senior in high school. My son won’t turn 19 until he’s a soph in college! Anyway, here’s this 19 year old h.s. student and far from it being “not an option” he is apparently thriving exponentially — he is a top recruit going to Notre Dame next year. Frankly, if your son has stopped going to classes now in the eighth grade, I don’t see how he’s going to make a seamless transition to 9th grade without taking another year to get a running start for a better adjustment to high school. </p>
<p>I suggest you make appointments to go and talk to the head counselor or psychologist of some key schools: the high school you would choose for your S (the one that all the bullies will not be attending) and then also talk to the same at the middle schools that feed that h.s. If it were me, I would have him repeat eighth grade at that feeder middle school and spend the next few months and the summer having him develop social skills, coping (ignoring) mechanisms, and maybe take lessons (instrument, voice, anything) that will let him find a group to join right away (I am thinking band or choir). Granted you work full time, but maybe you can hire a high school or college student in the neighborhood to drive him to various activities or lessons after school. It sounds like he needs some confidence boosters (again, I second sax’s suggestion for individual skill builders such as weight lifting and martial arts.)</p>