The school thing ... 8 hrs is a drop in the bucket. I was required... I mean MANDATORY attendance... for my daughter's school if she was to stay in the art program. They did "art club" every Thursday night and I, or some representative of me, was required to be there every Thursday. This was not a club the kids could choose not to be part of. It was a requirement of the art program. I really love the magnet schools they have down here. My child got a college level art education for "free" (yes i know the tax payers paid for it I'm one of them). She actually only drained the tax payers for 10th-12th grade. I had her in private school before that.