Luke Elementary School won the West Valley Best Public School in the Best of the Desert Community’s Choice Awards at a gala on June 6.

Luke’s selection was based on nominations from community members during the initial round in January.

The school was named a finalist in March, where there was another voting opportunity for the community. Luke Elementary was presented with a plaque at the gala, which was received by two school staff members, Bobbi Sue Jojola and Dulce Padilla.

“We are so honored to receive this award, and humbled that the community we serve voted for us,” said Principal Kara Sehr. “It is the ultimate reflection of the hard work of not only our amazing staff, but also the involvement of our students and parents. At Luke, we work tirelessly to provide the very best education possible, in a supportive environment, and we will continue to seek ways to help our Luke Jets soar.”

“A”-rated Luke is coming off an impressive school year.

In September 2023 Principal Kara Sehr was named the Principal of the Month by Grand Canyon University.

In October, Luke was named the first Purple Star Candidate School in the state of Arizona for its strong support of military families through numerous partnerships with Luke Air Force Base, its student transition program, designated staff point of contact, staff training, and dedicated web page resources for military students and families. In the previous school year, Luke was named an APS/NAU STEM Focus School for the Future.

Luke is a preschool through eighth grade school with more than 500 students that is situated next door to Luke Air Force Base at 7300 N. Dysart Road in Glendale. It has served the community since 1958.

Each year, the Best of the Desert Community’s Choice Awards recognizes more than 660 businesses and organizations among more than 220 categories. The awards program starts with public nominations, and from the top nominees in each category, the voting round selects the finalists and winners.