Garcia, Juliann Lee
Hello, I sent the below email to administrators and teachers about my concerns with the termination of the SOC at the high school. This is very disheartening to me, as it was to my sons as well. My son also let friends of his that were in SOC prior to their graduation know and they were quite upset as well. I am asking that there be a reconsideration of this decision. I really feel this decision is like making these kids a square peg that is attempting to be shoved in a round hole. They don’t learn like other children and should not be forced to try and do so and be made to feel bad about themselves because they can’t succeed. These kids have been through that their entire educational history, and they have finally found something that works for them and it is being taken away. I could see discontinuing something that doesn’t work, but this does and it just doesn’t make sense to me. If funding is really the reason, then please put it out to the parents and take donations. I would volunteer my time to attempt to find funding as well. This means that much to me. Every child deserves an opportunity to succeed, and this was something that made the forgotten about children believe they could do and become something more. Please reconsider this decision.
Thanks,
Juliann Garcia
From: Garcia, Juliann Lee
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 4:59 PM
To: 'Kyla Hooker' <k.ho...@laschools.net>; 'Whitney Pomeroy' <w.po...@laschools.net>; 'Jon Frost' <j.f...@laschools.net>; 'Hanako Brown' <h.b...@laschools.net>; 'Eric Ziegler' <e.zi...@laschools.net>; 'Suzanne Montoya' <s.mo...@laschools.net>;
'Brandi Hults' <b.h...@laschools.net>
Subject: RE: School of Choice (SOC) program
I was very distressed to hear about this decision to discontinue SOC. My Son Hunter Brian was in this program last year for his senior year. This program completely turned his high school experience around. He became a different student because of this format and the wonderful teachers in this program. He went from failing and barely passing to having A & B’s. More importantly it taught him he could do it and built his self-esteem. A kid that hated school turned into a kid that loved learning. He looked forward to being in class. His junior year he was adamant that he did not want to go to college and by mid senior year he was thinking about it. By the end of the year he decided he was going. He is currently finishing up his freshman year with good grades and the want to make something of himself. I am quite positive that this would not have happened without this program. I have a younger son that is currently a 5th grader, and I was so excited for him to get to high school because I feel this program would benefit him so much. My heart is broken that he will not get to have the same experience. I was hoping this would get rolled out at the middle school level as well. SOC was something that I told so many people was such a blessing to my son and our family. Hunter told me often that for the 1st time in his school experience he felt someone understood how his brain worked, functioned, and learned. He felt he was with a group of students that he was at home with because they learned the way he did. He didn’t feel like an outcast because of the struggles he had that others didn’t. He felt like someone cared about him. I know there are a lot of kids that are not the “upper tier”. They are not the “brilliant” kids because they don’t learn like “normal” kids. I will say that SOC served these kids well and made them believe in themselves. SOC finally made them the upper tier, brilliant kids. This program removed the hobbles that the traditional learning environment put on them. It allowed them the learning and confidence to set them free and let them run the race and win for the first time in their school years. This program leveled the field for these kids. I felt so blessed to be in a district where every child mattered and were not left behind. I wish this learning environment had been rolled out statewide. This decision, I’m sure, will make many kids feel left behind again. I hope if there is a way that the program could be saved and if not now, that it could be brought back soon. Our kids need advocates! In the 19 years I have had a child in school there was nothing like this program! This one year made a bigger difference in his life than the rest of the years combined. I can only image where he would have been if he could have been in the program longer. I wish you would ask the parents and the students if this program is worth while to them. I confident you would hear more of what I have just said. Please reconsider this decision for the well being of all the existing students and all the students to come. Education should not be a one size fits all. Thanks to the SOC teachers that taught my son how his brain worked and how he could harness that information to continue his learning. You were a blessing and changed his life for the better. I wish more students would get to have the same experience.
Thanks for your time and hard work.
Juliann Garcia
From: Brandi Hults <b.h...@laschools.net>
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2026 2:32:06 PM
Cc: Kyla Hooker <k.ho...@laschools.net>; Whitney Pomeroy <w.po...@laschools.net>; Jon Frost <j.f...@laschools.net>;
Hanako Brown <h.b...@laschools.net>; Eric Ziegler <e.zi...@laschools.net>; Suzanne Montoya <s.mo...@laschools.net>
Subject: School of Choice (SOC) program
Dear Students and Families,
I wanted to reach out to share an important update about the School of Choice (SOC) program. After careful consideration, a decision has been made to discontinue the program after this school year.
This was not an easy decision. Unfortunately, due to district budget cuts, we are no longer able to sustain the program beyond this year. We understand that the SOC program has been meaningful for many students and families, and we truly appreciate the time, effort, and dedication that students, teachers, and families have invested in it.
Students were notified of this decision by Mr. Ziegler today, and the SOC teachers have had an opportunity to speak with students as well to help answer questions and provide support.
Over the coming weeks, I will be working closely with our office staff to create class schedules for current SOC students for next school year. Our goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible. The SOC teachers will continue supporting current SOC students, and we hope many students will still have the opportunity to have them as teachers in their classes next year.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to Eric Ziegler (e.zi...@laschools.net) or Suzanne Montoya (s.mo...@laschools.net).
Thank you for your understanding and for being part of the SOC community.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hults
Los Alamos High School,
Math Department Member
School of Choice Department Chair
Room E-138
Work/Email Hours: M-F 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
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