re: Private school, yay or nay?

Every kid is different and what's good this year may be bad next year. If your kid has trouble fitting in/making friends, sometimes smaller schools are more cliquish and closed off to new students, especially if most of the students have been at the school for a long time.

The bigger issue is how are the public schools? If you're in the MS/LA/Ark Delta, or in S'port/BR/Jxn/LR/NOLA (etc.) proper, then private schools are a must.