(Photo by Matthew Casey - KJZZ)

Luke Elementary School Principal Molly Garcia speaks to parents about full-day kindergarten returning in for the 2016-17 school year.

(Photo by Matthew Casey - KJZZ)

Librarian Matt Collier chats with parents about the '20,000' books students can borrow from Luke Elementary School.

The Dysart Unified School District will once again offer full-day kindergarten at 19 of its schools next year after voters signed off on an $18 million override in November.

The West Valley’s largest school district held kindergarten showcases this week to give parents and kids an idea of what to expect.

Full-day kindergarten is the best thing for students academically, emotionally and socially, said Molly Garcia, principal of Luke Elementary School.

“It's something we firmly believe in as a school system — that our kids need full-day kindergarten,” she said.

If Dysart’s override had failed, the district would have been forced to continue half-day kindergarten. Because it passed, next year’s class won’t miss out on subjects like science, social studies, art, music and physical education. 

“We’ll get to play with live things,” said Niki Trezzo, kindergarten teacher at Luke Elementary. “We’ll get to plant things and watch them grow. A lot of those things we haven’t had time for.”

Trezzo’s students come from El Mirage, Surprise and Youngtown, and the school is within a stone’s throw of Luke Air Force Base.

Half-day kindergarten is not an option for Katrina Andersen, a resident of the base and mother of seven. Her youngest daughter will start kindergarten in the fall.

“I have a son who does half-day and he’s struggling with it,” Andersen said. “I don’t feel he’s learning anything in two hours and 45 minutes.”

Luke Elementary will use a team approach to make sure kids who could only go to half-day kindergarten this year have all of the resources they need going forward, Garica said.

“We want to make sure we prepare them for all that life has to offer,” she said.