For the first time in Frisco ISD, schools are charging their licensed students an annual fee of $50 to park on campus, stirring anger among many parents and students.

According to a Frisco ISD budget recommendation report, the district decided to charge students a $25 per semester parking fee in hopes of generating an additional $250,000.

This fee is only one fiscal strategy out of 59 the district implemented this year to save costs and make money after taxpayers voted against the Tax Ratification Election in 2016.     

“This is the first time our district has had to pay,” Assistant Principal Ronnie Sterling said. “The district might have wanted to stay consistent with those around us.”

Implying that Frisco ISD wishes to remain comparable to nearby districts, Sterling said they are enforcing this parking decal rule by fining students for not buying a permit.

 “The first offense is $10. Second offense is $10, and the third is $15,” Sterling said. “And every subsequent offense is 15 bucks.

To keep track of these offenses, Campus Secretary Rhonda Feather has developed a meticulous system for calculating the number of offenses per student as well. She keeps track of every offense on campus.

“Whenever Otis sees a car without a parking decal, he slaps a ticket on and sends it to Ms. Feather,” Sterling said. “He writes down a violation and puts it on a spreadsheet. Ms. Feather later looks at the spreadsheet and determines how many violations a student has.”

Many students are reporting receiving warnings before their first fine is issued. After their first warning, they must immediately purchase a decal before they start receiving fines. Several students, however, would still rather not purchase a decal, while blaming budget cuts for the $50 fee.

“I think the decals are too expensive,” senior Sydney Bryant said. “FISD is trying to find ways to make money and conserve what they have after the tax raise didn’t pass last year.”