You can skip grades in public school. I was getting in a lot of trouble becuase I was bored out of my mind at school, yet I could pass the tests multiple years ahead of me. My parents fought pretty hard but ultimately the school let me take a bunch of tests to prove I could make it by skipping a grade or two. I passed them and was given the option of skipping 8th grade and going straight to high school from 7th.

I didn't take that option. I knew a lot of the kids in my neighborhood and they were all 1-2 years older. They would all know that I had skipped ahead and many were bullies. That was definitely a fear of mine if I stayed in the same school district.

Thus my parents looked at private schools. All the private schools were willing to let me skip to high school as well. Unfortunately they were expensive (my parents didn't make an issue of this, but I was aware of it). I also didn't really want to leave my friends and a lot of the kids at the private school seemed more stuck up.

So I ended up staying with my normal grade and the public school jumped me ahead with a lot independet study stuff as much as possible. It helped a bit. What helped a lot more was the principal telling the teachers that I was allowed to read during their classes so long as I wasn't getting in trouble. I basically spent middle school as one giant independent study reading books from the town library.

Thankfully when I got to high school, the classes got massively better. I ended up basically finding 3 teachers that really pushed me to go above and beyond the regular curriculum. I took 3 history classes from one of the best teachers I've ever had. I had 2 years of science from a guy with a chemical engineering phD and who powered through MIT in 3 years. And I had a drafting/wood shop/stage craft teacher who let me build and draw stuff as much as I wanted. Those three guys helped me to learn an enormous amount in high school and have a great time.

Once I got to college, I was really glad I didn't skip ahead.

I'm very thankful that my parents pushed the school to let me move ahead when I made it clear I wanted that. I'm also glad they didn't force me to do it after they fought so hard to get the school to let me. They were very supportive, but not over bearing.

If your kid wants to move ahead, help him. If he doesn't, don't force him. One of my dad's coworkers forced his daughter through school ahead of schedule like you want to. She graduated high school at an early age, went to Princeton, and was out by age 18. She went to med school and was a doctor by 22.

She can't get any patients. Nobody actually wants a doctor who is 22. She is depressed, doing research (that she doesn't want to do) and is pissed off about missing out on high school, college, etc. For what?

The end result was his coworker getting divorced and barely ever seeing his daughter.

On the other hand, I worked with a guy who graduated high school early, graduated college by the time he was 20, and he's one of the smartest, nicest, most succesful people I know.

My personal experience is that the BS is late elementary and middle school. If your parents teach you simple math and reading at home you can jump ahead 2-3 years. By high school the availability of AP classes, independent study, and better electives (music, stagecraft, architecture, art, etc) make it far more enjoyable. I don't think shortening high school makes as much sense as shortening middle school.

I also think you have to listen to what your kid wants to do, not go based on what you want them to do.