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Community Service

Students in grades nine through twelve are required to do a minimum of ten (10) hours community service per academic year (for a total of forty hours by the end of a four year curriculum beginning in the 9th grade and ending in the 12th grade).

Students of Benton Academy will leave with tremendous heartfelt memories of their service to others during their high school years.

Application of Acquired Service Hours

  1. One service hour will be credited to each student in any of our partner agencies.  Partial hours served will be credited as a full hour.
  2. One hour will be credited to each student who serves one hour in an approved on-campus service.  This may be done in a concession stand, ticket-taking, special service for a teacher, elementary daycare, tutoring, etc.  These hours should only represent 20% of the total hours needed for each year or eight (8) hours total for the required forty (40) hours.
  3. Any daylong activities associated with the student’s church will be credited two (2) hours for that day.  This may relate to a workday for church members’ homes, childcare, other outreach opportunities, etc.
  4. Short-term mission trips (1-2 weeks) with the student’s church will also be acceptable.  The students will be credited with two (2) hours for each day of that particular mission trip.  This is done so that the student’s entire hour requirements for the year might be diversified through other services during the year.
  5. A required six (6) hour work day will be planned by Benton Academy to help meet the ten (10) hours requirement foe each year.  The Outreach Director will be responsible for the selection of the partnered agency and work to be done.
  6. All service hours will be approved, authenticated, and documented.  With this being done, not only the hours, but also the agencies served and the type of work done will be recorded and may be added to the student’s transcript.
  7. All students are required complete a community service hours verification form for all projects performed, either in the community or for the school.  The person who is supervising the student must sign the form, and the student will return the form to the Benton Academy Business Office.  Forms are available in the Business Office and on this webpage.  Failure to return forms to the office means that the Outreach Director will not record the service, and the student also risks a workday detention.  This must be done each week or as soon as the service is completed by the student.
  8. All students are required to complete hours and return all verification forms by the final deadline indicated in the student handbook: NO EXCEPTIONS unless approved by the Administration. Failure to hand in service hours by the deadline indicated will result in the student being assigned an ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION WORKDAY to make up deficient hours, on a date to be determined by the Administration.
  9. Students are not allowed to roll over deficient hour requirements to the next academic year without prior approval from the Administration. Failure to complete the ten (10) required hours for the school year will result in an ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION WORKDAY.
  10. All service hours are acceptable for that academic year. Each new academic year possesses a separate ten (10) hour requirement. Exceptions to this rule would include mission trips and Summer Vacation Bible School in the summer prior to the start of the new academic year in August.
  11. No service hours will be credited to a student for performing work that is required as part of an academic class or family activity.