The Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees has decided to honor the requests of parents to leave Jane A. Hambric elementary, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school.

In a community meeting, the district originally proposed dividing the elementary and middle school students of Hambric, Bill Sybert, and Paso De Norte elementary schools into two elementary schools and one middle school. Students in grades 6-8 would attend Hambric and the elementary students would segregate by geographical location to either Sybert or Paso De Norte.

"It isn't something the community is willing to support," said Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre. "More importantly, the administration and teachers aren't ready to support the idea, so there's not point in moving forward."

Hambric currently has 1,600 students attending the school, which leads to some overcrowding and limited resources, according to De La Torre, but he also says the district isn't looking to be disruptive.

Many parents at the meeting held at El Dorado high school expressed concern about sending their children on buses for the first time to a new school, or separating siblings for attending the same school. Yessica Rangel has two children that attend Hambric.

"I live close by the school, and it would be hard on a lot of people like me who are used to picking up their kids here," Rangel said. "If they split the schools, my older one would come back to Hambric in two years and my little one would have to go somewhere else."

Fernie Calderon, also a parent at Hambric, said he can understand the reason for the split.

"Teenagers and kids don't mix," Calderon said. "But it would be a big inconvenience for me and my student to attend a difference school."

De La Torre said the district will consider year-round schedules, or possibly revisit the idea of boundary changes after a few years in order to balance the overcrowding.