The Hutto ISD board of trustees voted at a special called March 6 meeting to move fifth graders back to the district's elementary campuses.

The district solicited community feedback on the fifth grade realignment through a survey available on its website. While a majority of district staff expressed a desire to keep fifth grade at district middle schools, nearly 80 percent of parent responses were in favor of moving fifth grade back to elementary campuses. Many parents said fifth grade students need more time to mature before moving to middle school.

"I think we can make it work," trustee Philip Boutwell said. "I think it's best for kids to go to fifth at the elementary, and I think we can either expand or build when we need to in order to do this."

Additionally, the council chose a rezoning plan that will shift students in Emory Farms, Green Haven, the Heights at Deerfield and future Siena subdivisions to Veterans' Hill Elementary School, which will open for school year 2014–15. The plan also eases student populations at Cottonwood Creek and Nadine Johnson elementary schools, which are becoming overcrowded.

"This [zoning] also maintains a lot of our walk to school possibilities," Superintendent Doug Killian said.