Thanks! I just wanted clarification, because different people have different definitions of “too far”. (One of my cousins had a marriage that lasted less than 6 months because the marital home was “too far” from the spouse’s mom - <30 minute drive!)
My child is, in theory, not all that far away “as the crow flies” compared to that, but the logistics are such that even without Covid, casual visits back and forth are out. With Covid, and quarantines at both ends - forget about it.
However, I have family near the school, and we discussed the various “what ifs” before going. I have a network of “people” ready to scoop the kid up from campus, if need be. Thankfully, it hasn’t been necessary, but we’ve had close calls. (Campus Covid rules means that historically “normal” teen behavior can get you punished.)
If you don’t currently have local connections/contacts, that’s fine. One of the benefits of Covid is that with everything virtual, it’s far easier now for boarding parents to connect to other parents. I suspect for some things, this will continue (in some form) when the worse of the crisis is past. (I’ve actually been a more active parent as a BS parent than as a public school parent, thanks to Zoom.)
I think visiting will help clarify whether the school is a good fit.
You son might also be ambivalent about leaving his friends. If the school really is a good fit, it should be easy enough to “make new friends and keep the old”, thanks to modern technology.