Millikan has gone through some major changes this summer having a direct effect on Millikan’s student body and teaching staff. Some of these changes have been long awaited for but the outcome and process might not have been what we were expecting. 

Here are some of the changes in affect this school year:

Dress Code

“It’s been a long time coming” -Taylor Swift

Rams, it’s official, we survived the great war. After many long years of the enforcement of dress code policy at Millikan, we finally have more autonomy on our wardrobe. This school year marks the very first year that Millikan has adopted free dress, but still inclusive of the LBUSD guidelines. Millikan was the last LBUSD high school to condone this. All around campus, you can see students expressing their creativity and style sense in an array of colors and patterns that make Millikan students shine on a brighter spotlight. Most seem to be enjoying their freedom. According to a poll on the Millikan Corydon website, 100% of students enjoy free dress more than a designated dress code. Hopefully, it’s here to stay.

Parking

A major disappointment to seniors this year: parking passes for the lots on the corners of East Barbanell Street and East Belen Street are not available for students any longer. In past years, a lottery system was used to designate which students were able to park in the lot, but many teachers were spared instead, some not being able to find parking. This year, the lots are strictly for teachers only, leaving the licensed Rams to street parking. 

When asked whether there was a difference between being able to find parking this year compared to last, Mr. Lange, French 1-2 and AP French teacher says, “Absolutely, it’s so much easier to find parking. There’s too many adults on campus that need parking and there’s not enough for the students”.

On the other hand, many seniors who drive to school think differently.

Kate Flanigan, a senior in COMPASS says, “I feel very rushed to get to school in order to find a decent parking spot now that we can’t use the lots.”

Other seniors agree saying,

“I don’t look forward to driving to school simply because the parking is pretty difficult to find, especially with traffic.”

“We have to get there super early to park or you can’t find parking close enough.”

“More students are beginning to go more into the neighborhood instead and I’m sure there have been disturbances.”

Construction

Beginning last school year, many classrooms and teachers had to make big moves to different parts of the school in order to allow for the construction of Millikan’s 100 and 200 buildings. Presumably in January, the campus will be divided and separated by subject: English in the 200 building, World languages in the 400 building, History/Social Sciences in the 500 bungalows, and Science classes in the 800 building. The 100 building will continue to serve as the main office and the 11000 building will house the College and Career Center, some Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, and Special Education classes. Next up, the 700 building (ASB room area), will take a blow as it is transformed into an outdoor pool in a few years.

Accordingly, that means that most teachers who have just made a move last year will have to make the move again to their hopefully permanent home. On a positive note, teachers have been promised that they will not make more than two moves over the course of this construction period. If you want to read more about Millikan’s in-progress construction, read Alyssa’s story here.

Construction is currently ongoing in the Main Quad as well and at other points around campus at this time. Many events that usually take place in the main quad will be moved to bigger spaces. The Homecoming Carnival for example is set to take place on the baseball outfield instead, this year, to allow for more space. 

Cellphone policy

The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education approved a new cellphone policy this September 4th that regulates student phone use in schools to enhance learning, support mental health, and strengthen safety. In accordance with the Phone-Free Schools Act, this mandates that all school districts in California establish a phone policy by July 2026, with Long Beach’s districtwide implementation on January 26, 2026. 

Key Guidelines of LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PHONE POLICY include:

-Devices must remain powered off and stored during instructional time, from the beginning to the end of each class period.

-Devices are prohibited in restrooms, locker rooms, on field trips, and during other school-day learning experiences.

Global classes

This year, “global classes” have made an appearance at Millikan. These classes mix up students from different pathways together, creating a diverse group of students from different sectors. Teachers that used to be primarily COMPASS teachers for example, have begun to see more students from other pathways in their classrooms. If you want to learn more about pathway intermixing, read Aubrey Calderon’s story here.

These changes are inevitably to support the learning environment here at Millikan and students believe that it’s sure to be a year unlike the rest. While the process may be long, the outcome will be well worth it.