Parents dropping off their youngsters at Mamie Martin Elementary School Friday will hopefully find traffic flowing a bit smoother than it has in the past.

Those who have been through this process before know that traffic will be heavy and parking will be scarce. For those going through this for the first time, school officials and Brookhaven police are working to make the process as easy as possible.

Parents dropping off students for preschool or pre-kindergarten will approach the campus from Union Street by turning onto Jennifer Street. Traffic will flow toward the rear of building D to drop off or pick up students. Cars will then exit onto Ingram Street and go north.

Parents who are bringing students for kindergarten will enter from Union Street onto Ingram Street. Traffic will flow north to the barricade at Jennifer Street and drop off or pick up students at the rear of building B. Cars will then exit onto Jennifer Street.

Those dropping off first or second graders will enter the campus by going south on Ingram Street. Traffic from North Jackson Street will turn onto Crider Drive, then left onto Ingram Street. Cars will then turn left into campus by the baseball field and pick up or drop off students at building E, before exiting onto Vivian Merritt Street.

Molly Street, which runs next to and behind Grace Community Church, will be closed to regular traffic and used for school buses only. Buses will also enter and exit the campus via Vivian Merritt Street. Because buses require a lot of room to maneuver, parents are discouraged from parking along streets or anywhere other than designated parking areas.

Grace Community Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, both located on Ingram Street, have made their parking areas available for use by parents during the first few days of school. Parking will be permitted on campus in the main parking lot in front of the school, along the edge of the parking lot and in the parking spaces by the baseball field.

Lt. Rob Smith, a 24-year veteran of the Brookhaven Police Department, said parents who have registered children at Mamie Martin before should be familiar with the flow. At least six officers will be present around campus Friday to assist with getting parents and students safely where they need to go.

“We ask that new parents and those coming out to register please have patience and understanding,” said Smith. “There’s going to be a whole lot of people trying to get in there at the same time.”

“For new parents, new kids, it’s going to all be a new experience for them,” Smith said. “We understand that and we’ll do our best to try to make their transition into the school experience a good one. We’ve tried to make this as painless as possible and be as careful as we possibly can.”