By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DEERFIELD TWP. - For years, Kings High School students have performed more community service than almost every other Greater Cincinnati public school.

That could all change next school year as school board members consider lowering the graduation requirement for community service hours.

Concerned that too many high school students may be burdened by Kings' long-standing graduation requirement of 100 hours of community service between the seventh and 12th grades, some school officials are seeking fewer such hours.

"We've had the requirement for 14 years and considering what all the kids do today with activities and jobs, it seems to put us more in line with other public school districts," said Kings Superintendent Charles Mason.

Few area schools require as many community service hours as Kings, where students must volunteer 25 hours from grades 7 through 8 and 75 hours from grades 9 to 12. "I can live with a total of 50 hours for high school," said Kings Board of Education member Bonnie Baker-Hicks during a meeting of the school board this week. "My biggest concern about community service is, I don't want to impose hardships on students who have jobs or family responsibilities."

Most Greater Cincinnati public high schools, which make community service part of graduation requirements, expect students to volunteer for 10 to 20 hours total for each of their junior and senior years.

About 20 public high schools in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have such requirements.

Kings sophomore Dedra Delaney would welcome the change, saying "it's great to have some community service hours but 100 is too many. A lot of students have jobs they work to help pay for college and there is just not enough time."

The school board is scheduled to vote on the proposal Jan. 31. In other board action, Mason reported that school officials will meet with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials on Feb. 2. Shortly after, EPA workers will begin removing lead-contaminated soil that has closed Kings Junior and Senior High School's stadium and playing fields. The estimated $2 million cleanup, which EPA officials have said will likely be covered by federal money, is scheduled to be done by June 30.

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com