The annual fee paid by students for a high school parking space in ferfax County provided the principal with thousands of dollars, and the principal could be used to purchase classroom enhancement equipment such as ipad and computer, but the school's records show that, the poorest students in the county tend to be short of money because their schools make a lot less money on parking.
County schools charge more than $1 million in student parking fees each year, and some high schools earn more than $10,000 a year from their income.
But other schools in poor areas of the county earn only $465, leaving them much less discretionary cash.
Nardos King, principal of Mount Vernon High School near Alexandria, said: "I hope we have something to offer extra income," more than half of the students are eligible for free or relief
The price of lunch, the measure of poverty.
"I just hope it doesn't always come down to people who can afford it and those who can't afford it.
Obviously there is a reason why my parking lot is empty.
"Parking fees for the school year are $200 and some students are eligible for a subsidy.
The high school principal reserves 15% of the cost, $30 for each space sold.
On average, schools earn $7,400 a year from parking income, which is usually used to buy technology
Interactive whiteboard-
Or security upgrade
Obviously, schools with less income spend less.
Pat Hynes, school board member (Hunter Mill)
This could create an unfair disadvantage.
"This creates a potential equity problem," Haines said . ".
"This is the source of income for some schools and other schools. . . .
This is a good example of what problems we have with the gaps in the community and the lack of resources in the county.
"It's easy to see this difference in the parking lot of the county school.
The more affluent schools where families can afford cars and fees are located sell out their parking spaces.
In some schools, the demand for parking spots is so high that dozens of students sign up for the waiting list or park in the overflowing parking lot.
At James Madison High School in Vienna, students who miss school space can pay to park at the nearby Elkes Lodge.
Managers at Maclean Lanley High School, where about 2% of students are eligible for free or relief-
The school earned $13,890 in parking fees last year.
According to the data obtained by The Washington Post, poor schools have sold almost no attractions.
Mount Vernon's parking revenue last year was $465.
Lower cost than the new iPad Air.
Joan Daley, parents of Falls Church High School, teachers, and President of the Student Association, said unfortunately schools with a higher proportion of poor students were hit hardest.
As of October, at Falls Church, 57% of students were eligible for subsidized meals and 68 of the 120 parking spaces were sold by the government. 15.
Because some parking spaces are subsidized, parking costs the school $1,600.
"There are many examples that show that things are not fair," said Daley . " He pointed out that other PTSAs in the county are very good --
Funded by donations from wealthy families.
"This is something we can't compete.
"Senior Kimberly Mertens at Mount Vernon said she parked her car in the neighborhood near the school so she could avoid paying for space. “It’s crazy —
"There is no need to pay $200," said Mertens, 17 . ".
But the price she paid was her time.
Mertens says a large number of people are looking for parking spaces on the side of the road every day.
"If you are late, you will be unlucky.
"Mount Vernon's 17-year-old Maddie Pessel says parking in the neighborhood around the school poses the risk of expensive parking tickets.
Pessel's parents decided to help her pay for the $200 parking fee so she didn't have to spend more time looking for a parking spot in the morning.
"With a position, I promise I don't have to panic when I get to school on time," said Parsell . " Parsell is one of the few students paying for parking in Mount Vernon.
Karen Garza, head of the ferfax School, said the gap in parking income reflected similar problems throughout the county.
"Some of our schools have a greater capacity to generate additional income to support their schools in many areas, not just parking," Garza said . " Note that PTSAs and booster club can raise thousands of dollars in their community, which usually benefits the rich.
"This is a reality everywhere.
Garza said the school system aims to offset the problem by providing other forms of funding to schools with more poor students such as Mount Vernon.
Although parking fees only make up a fraction of the $2 in the school system.
5 billion annual budget, the school board faces 9-
The digital gap for next year and is considering increasing student fees to help increase income.
One of the options includes $100 per-
Sports fees for students to take part in track and field sports, which finance officials say could bring in an additional $1. 8million.
Student fees for parking, Music Instrument Rentals and program tuition add up to about $18.
According to the budget document of the ferfax school, the income is 2 million.
Parking income at county schools reached $1,056,639 last year.
As the school system seeks to address the projected $0. 14 billion shortfall, "everything is on the table," Garza said ".
Increasing parking fees is not an option at the moment, Garza said, but it has been used by the previous ferfax government to help offset the decreasing revenue.
According to the budget document, in 1991, the school system began to charge students $100 for parking fees, "to partially offset the decline in state and local income ".
In 2002, the cost increased to $150 and in 2009 to $200, an increase of $300,000 for three more.
6 positions on the staffing roster.
Susan Quinn, chief financial officer at the ferfax School, wrote in 2011 that raising tuition to $250 could bring in an additional $230,000.
In other school districts, principals may keep most of their parking income.
In Arlington County, all parking fees are reserved for the three high schools. Washington-
Lee and Yorktown High School charge students $50 for parking.
In Montgomery County, 25 high schools charged $195,368 in parking fees last year.
School officials say each school retains its income for sports expenses.
Student parking costs $200 per year in Louden County;
The school reserves $25 from each permit;
The remaining funds totaled about $500,000 a year, dating back to the central government's operating funds.
Garza said the principal has the right to exercise his budget when they think it is appropriate.
Matt Ragone, Landley's principal, said he used to buy photocopiers and textbooks for parking fees.
Ragone said he also used the funds to increase staff to keep the class size under control because "I can't have more children in the classroom . ".
If parking fees are part of a larger county plan to benefit the schools that are most in need, he says, he is reluctant to support a fairer allocation of parking fees.
But Ragone said he would prefer to keep the money raised in Langley.
Chip Comstock, an assistant principal at Oakton High School, is expected to receive parking fees of about $11,000 this year, saying that larger schools tend to have larger parking lots, and get more income from the extra parking space.
The two largest universities, Robinson Middle School and Westfield High School, earn more than $12,000 a year.
"Should we concentrate our money?
"If I were a small school, I would have promised," Comstock said . ".
"Should we keep more money? Sure, why not?