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Committee debates expanding community-service credit, platform access and the meaning of 'service' for APS students
Summary
Board members discussed whether community-service graduation requirements (currently described as one-half Carnegie unit ≈ 75 hours) should allow verified non‑nonprofit activities, and asked staff for utilization data on the district platform used to record hours.
The Atlanta Public Schools Policy Review Committee on April 16 examined how community service counts toward graduation, including the district’s current guidance that one-half of a Carnegie unit equals roughly 75 service hours for students entering fall 2024–25.
Miss Carolyn Barnett reviewed the policy language in IHF and its regulation IHF-R6 and said the superintendent is charged with developing implementation guidelines. Barnett noted the one-half Carnegie-unit definition and explained how the 75-hour figure derives from standard Carnegie-unit calculations.
Board members and the student representative raised equity concerns about limiting credit to work performed only for registered nonprofits. "One student said he's done way more than 75 hours, but it didn't count because it wasn't a nonprofit," a board member summarized during discussion, urging the committee to consider expanding acceptable activities.
The committee discussed the district's volunteer-tracking platform (referred to in the meeting as "tier spare"/"Tears"), which staff described as a free platform that allows organizations and school programs to post opportunities, students to register, and hosts to approve hours. Staff said the platform verifies organizations as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and that the district pays no direct fee for the service.
Members asked staff to provide utilization data and cost/operational details, noting reports that some students and counselors were unaware of the platform and others still use paper records. Questions included how many students are active on the platform, discrepancies across schools, and whether the system could record nontraditional or work-based activities while maintaining safety and verification.
The committee did not adopt a final change; members asked staff to refine guidelines that could broaden eligible activities, develop training for counselors, and return with data and proposed regulatory language.
