Personal finance class to become graduation requirement at Arrowhead High School

 

HARTLAND, Wis. (CBS 58) --- Students at Arrowhead High School will soon be required to take a personal finance class to graduate.

The school board has been considering the proposal and is expected to make it official this week. The new policy would combine two existing financial literacy classes that are currently optional.

One of those classes is "Dollars and Sense," an introductory level course on money management for freshman and sophomore students. The other class is "Personal Finance" and is a deeper dive and more advanced level course covering saving, investing, and more for older students.

Again, the new policy would combine those two classes into a brand-new semester long course requirement for graduation offered to juniors and seniors. The new class will teach students a wide range of topics that will at some point impact them personally. 

Course Topics:

Employee Pay and Benefits

Savings and Banking

Budgeting

Taxes

Understanding Credit

FAFSA/College Loans

Investing 

Insurance

Other important topics will be covered as well, such as how to buy a car, house, finding an apartment, and budgeting for grocery shopping.

"We've tracked data that about 85% of students already take some sort of financial literacy class…. but it isn't personal, so I do think with the personal finance aspect they can learn about those broader economic concepts but still relate it to themselves," said Sue Casetta, Director of Learning at Arrowhead High School.

Jana Danay is a Business and Information Technology teacher at the school and says although her students come into personal finance class with different levels of knowledge, there's something for everyone to learn.

"I don't think any parent in our district would say that personal finance isn't important," said Danay. Covering all the topics in one semester could be a challenge but the benefits of introducing these concepts are hopeful.

Once the school board officially passes the course requirement, it will apply to the next incoming freshman class. Several other area school districts already require personal finance to graduate, and a bill soon headed to Governor Evers' desk will impact students statewide.