SCARBOROUGH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The Scarborough Board of Education voted 6 to 1 in favor of charging students to park this year. The fee is half of what the board originally proposed.
Around 60 people attended the meeting at the Scarborough Town Hall.
Scarborough Superintendent, George Entwistle III, says because of declining state and local revenues, the school's finance committee added $50,000 in student fees to the 2012-2013 budget.
The Board opted out of increasing athletic and activity fees, but voted in favor of $25 per semester or $50 per year to park.
Scarborough parents say even the current athletic fees plus the imposed parking fee is just too much.
"My daughter's not here tonight because she's at work. She would pay $350 if you reduce this parking fee. I have another son, so his fee in the equation would be about $700 this year," says Mike Gilbert.
Paul Koziell says he agrees with the parking fee. "In my mind this is a use fee and is no different than a toll. It is no different than a parking meter."
Scarborough High students say the fees will impact more than their wallets.
"If I'm not able to park at the school because I can't afford the fee than I am kind of limited in my academics because I can no longer stay to work on certain things with my teachers or take extra tests that I've missed so now my grades are suffering because I couldn't afford a fee," says Mary Cleary.
Student Body President, Jack Sullivan, says the fee will force students to ride already overcrowded buses causing a much larger problem for the school. He said he's already planning to petition for a referendum question asking voters if they agree with imposing athletic and parking fees on students.
"We have plenty more back up plans. Next plan is to flood the buses and show them what we're made of. Boycott the lot, flood the busses, those are the words we're living by," says Sullivan.
The Scarborough Board of Education says financially eligible students can apply to have the parking fee waived.