After facing issues with student parking in previous years, administrators have adopted a new parking lot procedure. This year, student drivers of all grades will be able to choose their own assigned parking spots that they will have for the rest of the year.

Dates and times during fall enrollment have been set aside for students of each class to choose a spot. School resource officer Maurice Loridon will be at fall enrollment with a large map of the parking lot to help students select their spot. Dates and times were sent to parents via a Skyward message and are listed below.

Seniors: Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Juniors: Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 1-8 p.m.

Sophomores and freshmen: Thursday, Aug. 6, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Absent and miscellaneous students: Thursday, Aug. 6, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Skyward message also stated that only one parking spot per family is allowed in order to maximize available space. Families may request a second pass, but they will be put on a waiting list. Students cannot exchange spots after selection.

Some new spots have also been added, although the parking lot has not been expanded. In addition, a number of unmarked spots will be designated as overflow parking and set aside from student selection at enrollment. This will allow space for visitors, as well as new students and staff.

The new procedure was created after students began struggling to find available parking throughout last school year. According to associate principal Marilyn Chrisler, students parking in aisles, on islands and in no-parking zones made the parking lot a hazard to navigate.

Chrisler said that while coming up with ideas for the new procedure, administrators looked at how other schools in the area handle student parking.

“Many [local schools] charge for parking, but we didn’t want to have to do that, so instead we came up with giving each kid their own parking spot,” Chrisler said via phone. “That’s not to say we won’t have to [make changes] at some point. As Mill Valley may grow in the future, the parking plan may have to be revisited.”

While administrators are optimistic that the plan will be a positive solution, Chrisler encourages students with questions or concerns during the school year to talk to the administrators and asks that they remain open minded.

“We have to deal with what we have realistically,” Chrisler said. “We just ask kids to be patient with the process. It’s change, but we want people to be OK with it.”