WESTBROOK–Two local businesses have stepped forward to cover the rental of Merrill Auditorium for the Westbrook High School class of 2010’s graduation. But it might be up to the class of 2011 to pay its own way.

The location of this year’s graduation came into question in November when the School Committee was scheduled to take a vote to approve the venue. During last year’s budget process, the committee cut the $4,000 needed to rent Merrill Auditorium in Portland, where the ceremony has been held for more than a decade, in favor of a plan to hold the event at the new 1,000-seat auditorium at the Westbrook Middle School.

But students, who had watched their friends and siblings graduate at Merrill, spoke up against the change. Aside from feeling left out of a tradition, they said the new auditorium wouldn’t be big enough to accommodate all of their guests. Merrill’s capacity is just under 2,000, and Principal Marc Gousse said the event usually draws more than 1,500 people.

The School Committee ended up approving the students’ request to hold the ceremony at Merrill, but said they’d have to find their own funding.

Since then, Idexx Laboratories donated $4,000 and Disability RMS donated $2,000 toward the ceremony this year. Gousse said the class will use the leftover money to pay for Project Graduation, a party following the ceremony that’s organized by the school.

Superintendent Reza Namin said the budget he recently presented to the school board’s Finance Committee does not include money for the 2011 graduation at Merrill. However, he said, it’s an item that the Finance Committee is slated to discuss as it wraps up its review.

School Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said he wouldn’t support restoring the money to rent the Portland auditorium.

“I think the graduation should happen at the middle school,” he said.

Symbol said if students want to invite more than the guests that could fit in the middle school auditorium, the ceremony could be simulcast in the school’s cafeteria, which would be set up for overflow seating.

If the students insist on holding the ceremony at Merrill, he said, it should be “up to the senior class to go out and raise money.”

But until the tradition ends, the location of graduation will likely spark an annual debate.

“I feel like it’s going to be a problem every year,” said Katie Walsh, president of the high school’s senior class. “I don’t think anybody wants it to be at the middle school.”

Walsh said her class was preparing to go door-to-door asking for money to fund the graduation at Merrill. Hearing about the donations from Idexx and Disability RMS “was definitely a relief,” she said.

Unlike Walsh, Gousse might be facing the same battle again next year, but he said he’s grateful for temporary solution the two companies have provided.

“We are overwhelmed by the extremely generous contribution of two local corporate leaders,” he said. “I commend their leadership in supporting this student-centered activity and the ability to make this a reality for our graduates.”