Hollister
– Tension has mounted over the community service requirement for
the U.S. Government class at San Benito High School.
Hollister – Tension has mounted over the community service requirement for the U.S. Government class at San Benito High School.
Several students and parents spoke at Wednesday’s school board meeting in opposition to the requirement that students perform volunteer service. The U.S. Government class – required for graduation at the high school – stipulates that students perform at least 10 hours of community service in order to earn an A.
Administrators at the school defended the requirement, saying community service helps strengthen the class’s curriculum.
“I believe that community service is a great bridge between the school and the community,” U.S. Government teacher Mitch Huerta said. “Community service can teach lessons that aren’t in the book.”
Huerta said several students came to him after performing their volunteer hours, saying they now understand lessons he taught them about the importance of governmental agencies.
The students and parents who spoke out against the requirement said it was unfair for the school to require students to perform services outside of the classroom.
“I love doing service, but why is it we’re being forced to do service for a grade?” SBHS senior Valerie Nicolaysen said. “Service is giving up oneself to volunteer. This is teaching kids the wrong idea of what service really is.”
A community service requirement is fairly common among nearby high schools. High schools in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Santa Cruz all have similar requirements. Anzar High School requires that students to perform 18 hours of community service per semester for at least six semesters in order to graduate.
The California Department of Education has also issued statements in favor of community service or service learning, although it is not a statewide requirement, according to a spokeswoman. In his February State of the Education Address, the California Superintendent Jack O’Connell praised schools with service learning requirements.
“Successful schools … are combining academic standards with service learning, in projects that teach the value of giving back and the importance of engaging in the broader community,” he said.
To fulfill their community service requirements, students volunteer with local nonprofits or perform service activities. Students volunteer in soup kitchens, do river cleanup or help at food banks.
While most of the people who spoke out against the requirement said they enjoyed community service and did it on their own, they opposed the fact that it was imposed by the department, and that volunteering with school clubs or churches did not count.
“It’s not right for you to impose something like this on their outside school life,” SBHS parent Lisa Nicolaysen said.
While the school board members seemed to agree that there should be a future discussion on what counted toward community service, most thought the requirement was valid and important.
“For many of our students this may be an initial activity that they have never experienced before,” Trustee Evelyn Muro said. “I think it’s one of the most noble values that the education system can impart.”
