MESA, AZ — On a warm, dusty morning in Mesa, students and parents lined up for pictures, soaking in the moment before the first bell. Arizona’s largest school district welcomed students back for a new school year on Thursday.
For parents like Alondra Reilly, Thursday meant sending off her oldest kid, Oliver.
“It’s crazy to think that long ago that I feel like we were holding his hand to help him walk so now that we’re starting elementary school, it’s crazy,” she said.
Firsts weren’t just for the youngest students either. In two different schools in Mesa, some teenagers walked into a brand new chapter for the district: two new high schools incorporated inside existing middle school campuses.
ABC15 spoke with now-9th grader Tatum last year when the district announced the two new schools.
“I feel like we have more freedoms now, and I feel like we can do more stuff at the high school than the junior high,” she said.
In the video player above, see how the first day of school went for students in Mesa and hear from both Oliver and Tatum about what they hope to learn this new school year.
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