When Mill Valley first opened its doors in 2000, a mere 539 students filled the school. With 108,000 fewer square feet than it has today – almost half its current size – and a student body that was 749 students fewer than that of the 2014-2015 school year, Mill Valley was just a fraction of what it is today in its 15th year of being open.

However, it isn’t just the exterior that has changed. In the 15 years the school has been open, students and staff have seen the school evolve inside and out.

Some students, including physical education teacher Sarah Haub and social studies teachers Jack Johnson and Dustin Stinnett, returned to Mill Valley years after graduating to teach.

“This school is nowhere close to how it was when I went here,” Stinnett said. “The room [I teach in] didn’t even exist when I went to school here.”

Science teacher Eric Thomas has taught at Mill Valley for all 15 years it has been open. In that time, he has seen class sizes, extracurricular activities and academic opportunities develop.

“We’ve definitely moved from being a smaller school with the advantages and disadvantages of that to being a bigger school, also with advantages and disadvantages,” Thomas said. “[With extracurricular activities], you could be a really great athlete and play three sports at the 4A level, but that might not be possible at the 5A level. Academically, your opportunities change because you have more opportunities in terms of classes you can take.”

Communication arts teacher Justin Bogart has also taught at Mill Valley since the school’s opening.

“I think there’s a greater sense of Mill Valley’s place in the community,” Bogart said. “When we first opened, I think we really struggled with identifying ourselves, but especially in the last five years, I’ve seen a huge upswing in school spirit and a greater sense of what Mill Valley is and what it means to the community.”

In addition to seeing students and their pride in the school grow, Bogart also said he has been able to work with a lot of great teachers.

“What’s never wavered has been the focus on academics. Our school has always been a very high-achieving school and I’m very proud of that,” Bogart said. “I know there are outstanding teachers everywhere … it’s kind of hard to believe that so many of them are here at Mill Valley. Those individuals with whom I’ve worked for 15 years and those who have been recent additions to our school all seem to have that idea in mind: that this is a great place to get an education.”

Thomas and Bogart agree that throughout the last 15 years, Mill Valley has enjoyed great success, but Thomas believes there is much more to come in the school’s future.

“We have great kids. We really do. We have really great teachers, [as well]. How could you not be successful with that combination? We are also very blessed that we have a lot of parent involvement,” Thomas said. “All of those things are a recipe for success.”