I was pleased to see the N.C. Department of Public Instruction delay implementation of Project Graduation until 2011. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district will rule on whether to fund the program this year, despite the state's ruling April 23. The state cited a need for more time to get it right.

There isn't that much time in the world.

I am the parent of a junior in one of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro high schools, the first class affected by Project Graduation. I heard sighs of relief when DPI announced the delay. In past years, graduates had to complete 50 hours of service learning, or community service. After many of the kids from the class of 2010 had already completed that requirement, the state introduced Project Graduation, a mandatory (but non-funded) program that reduces the community service hours to 25 and requires they spend 15 to 25 hours on an academic lecture and project, to be presented to faculty and community leaders, in the spring before graduation.

This pass-fail project also requires the student to get input from a topic mentor-community volunteers that must pass a security check. Vetting these folks can run anywhere from $12 to $15 per person. Then, there is the staff time to document that every student has met every requirement. District-wide, we have about 900 students in the class of 2010. You do the math.

So I only have one little question:

Just whose lame-brained, half-baked idea was this?

Yeah, I've heard all the justifications, including: "This will better prepare our students for college work and real life." Puleeze. Why aren't we putting our time and money into programs that make sure every kid can read? Or better yet, graduate from high school? And here I thought high school was the only preparation needed for college.

That is especially true in Chapel Hill, where seniors compete to be accepted at a hometown university that boasts a freshman class GPA of 4.5. In this district, where a B average is considered middle of the road, honors classes are the rule rather than an exception, and SAT review classes are all the rage, my daughter wants to know: "When did you say that high school would start being fun?"

With the rare exception, the quality of the faculty in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district is up to the task of preparing these students for a wide range of college disciplines. Yet, Project Graduation requires that a faculty adviser be assigned to each project, effectively adding another layer of work to this consistently underpaid segment of our community.

This ill-conceived, poorly executed plan should be drop-kicked to the nearest round file before it wastes another ounce of our scarce resources.

On the other hand, we should reconsider the 50-hour community service hour requirement for graduating seniors. In a community where so many have so much, our students have learned about others who are not as fortunate -- by tutoring in schools, and volunteering in arts classes, animal shelters, and soup kitchens. My daughter, whose familiarity with the kitchen at home extends to the freezer and microwave, practically glows after a stint chopping donated vegetables for up to a 100 people at the Inter-Faith Council's homeless shelter. There's far more "real life" experience there than giving an oral presentation to a local "community leader."

I have no idea which way our school board is leaning on the subject of Project Graduation. But I do have every confidence that they will look at the facts about Project Graduation, compare its value to an already embattled budget, and decide to adopt a well-worn phrase we've all taught our children:

Just say NO.

ONLINE

For more information about Project Graduation, and the State Department of Public Instruction's ruling, go to

www.dpi.state.nc.us/newsroom/news/2008-09/20090402-02