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…