Dear friends and neighbors:
Time after time, I’ve heard from people who regret they weren’t taught about finances before they graduated from high school and later had to make important financial decisions that affected their lives for many years afterwards. It doesn’t have to be this way.
My Senate Bill 5720 would establish a grant program to enable school districts to integrate financial literacy into elementary, middle and high school curricula. This would be the largest investment our state has ever made to equip kids with basic financial knowledge. More importantly, it means that students would graduate from public high schools with a grasp of financial literacy that would serve them throughout life.
Every day we make financial choices that shape, for better or worse, our life path and our financial security. But the quality of those choices depends on whether we understand the importance and workings of savings, debt, investments and other financial basics. SB 5720 would help school districts train teachers in financial literacy and would improve outreach to foster students, homeless youth, students receiving special education services, and Tribal communities. Having passed the Senate, the bill is now scheduled to be heard in the House this Friday.
Financial literacy provides lifelong benefits. Why shouldn’t we equip our students with a skill set that will enable them to make ends meet throughout their working years and into retirement?
Take care and stay safe,
