Local
schools to join service pilot program
Community service for grads.
Three local schools join 30 statewide in New Jersey pilot
program.
Saturday, December 17, 205 • By TERRENCE DOPP
• The Express-Times
TRENTON | Acting Gov. Richard Codey
announced Friday that 30 high schools statewide have been
chosen for a test-run of a new program requiring juniors to
complete community service as a graduation
requirement.
Locally, the schools include South
Hunterdon Regional High School, of West Amwell Township;
Hunterdon Poly Tech, of Flemington; and North Warren High
School, of Blairstown.
Hunterdon Poly Tech already has service
requirements.
"It's all too easy to lose site of the
importance of helping those less fortunate," Codey said. "By
making community service part of the high school experience,
we can teach students that life is much bigger than the
individual and that each of us has the ability to impact
others."
New Jersey is the second state in the
country to require community service from high school
students.
Under the plan laid out Friday, students
can earn the 15 hours of credit by volunteering at a
nonprofit agency, public institution, health care facility
or any other state-approved community organization. Students
cannot receive any money, and schools can waive the
requirement for any student deemed unable to complete
it.
The experience of the 30 schools will be
tracked by the state Department of Education over three
consecutive years. Following the test, the state will
examine the service requirement and recommend whether it
should be expanded to all high schools.
"We know that there are schools in the
state that have a community service requirement, and we
think those practices should be shared," said Lucille Davy,
acting Department of Education commissioner. "This pilot
project allows us to do that."
Terrence Dopp is Trenton correspondent for The
Express-Times. He can be reached at 609-292-5154 or by
e-mail at tdopp@sjnewsco.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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