Jackson mom perturbed at parking fee

The Jackson Board of Education's plan to charge students $25 a year to park at one of Jackson's two high schools beginning in September does not sit well with Catherine Gross.

"People are irate" about the idea of charging $25 a year for students to park at either Jackson Memorial High School or Jackson Liberty High School, Gross said. "I've heard stories of why people are sending their children to school in cars."

Gross said one student drives her parent to chemotherapy appointments after school.

"She needs a car," Gross said.

Some high school students are responsible for picking up their younger brothers and sisters and taking them to different activities after school. Gross said some students need a car to get to work after school.

"This is clearly unjust. It's just unfair," she said of the board's plan to implement a parking fee.

At the May 19 meeting of the school board, Gross asked how many employees do not live in Jackson and park at one of the high schools for nothing.

Board President Barbara Fiero said employees do not have bus transportation available to them, and the students do.

According to state law, a school district is required to provide bus transportation for every student who lives beyond a certain distance from his school. The seat on the bus must be provided whether or not the student rides the bus.

While a student may be allowed to use his vehicle for transportation purposes to school and may be allowed to park that vehicle in a designated parking area, the use of a parking space is a privilege, according to the board.

Allison Erwin, who is the communications specialist for the Jackson School District, said the board has received some emails from people regarding its plan to charge students for a parking permit beginning in September.

"At this time the board is looking into other options and other considerations and there is more research they have to do before they [make a final decision]," said Erwin, who indicated the revenue from this source was included in the 2009-10 budget. "It wasn't an aftereffect, and the budget was passed by the residents."

Erwin noted that board member Sharon Dey indicated there were only two ways to come up with the money it takes to run the school district: by the tax levy or by other sources of revenue.

Dey said, "At the Committee of the Whole meeting I asked the administration to look at other avenues, because at that time we had received approximately 27 letters. So I am confident the administration is looking into other areas."

There are a total of 760 seniors at the two Jackson high schools.

Officials said the Jackson School District is aware of other New Jersey school districts that charge high school seniors a fee to park at school. Those districts include East Brunswick, $50, Mount Olive, $100, Somerset Hills, $100, North Hunterdon, $25 per term, and Montgomery, $75, and several other districts that charge smaller fees.

The Tri-Town News contacted Hunterdon Central Regional High School District Superintendent of Schools Lisa Brady, who said her school district in Flemington has been charging a fee for parking for 15 years.

"That fee is $60," Brady said. "The money is used to offset the costs of maintenance, re-striping the parking lot and the cost of security cameras."

Contact Dave Benjamin at dbenjamin@gmnews.com.