Phoenix (3TV/CBS 5) –Should high school students learn about investing and saving for retirement? A bill is currently moving through the state Legislature that would require Arizona high school students to take a personal finance course as a requirement for graduation.
Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard is the bill's sponsor. This is necessary, he says, “so that when you graduate and go out into the real world, when you're faced with decisions like student loans and credit cards, you know what you're going to do.” say.
High school students learn about investing, budgeting, paying bills, retirement planning, and more in semester-long courses. State Sen. Mesnard said this potential new high school requirement would not increase the number of credits students need to graduate.
“I studied calculus, differential equations, etc. thoroughly, but none of it was useful in my professional life. I never tried to use calculus for anything. I never had one. It was all something I had to learn on my own when I stepped into the real world. Like every time you walk down a college campus or sidewalk, there's an ad for a high-interest credit card. I remember feeling it,” he added.
Parent Greg Marsett agrees. He is also a certified financial planner and the CEO of his BusyKid, a financial literacy app for families. “We think we can go to university and become great personal finance people, but that doesn't work. People just start university and make stupid mistakes,” he said. Told.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on a 6-1 vote. Democratic Sen. Christine Marsh was the only one to vote against it. She expressed her concern about making this a graduation requirement and potentially eliminating elective classes for high school students.
“I'm also very concerned about depriving students of half their credit for electives. In some cases, it's causing kids to stay in school. For example, choir class Kids in need, kids in need of art classes, kids in need of drama classes, whatever it is,” said Sen. Marsh.
The bill states this would begin with the class of 2028, making it a requirement for future freshmen. However, Sen. Mesnard said the requirement will likely be pushed back several years because it takes time for schools to develop new standards.
The bill must pass the House and Senate and be signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs to become law. Arizona's family will keep you updated on progress.
Was there a spelling or grammatical error in your story? Click here to report.
Have a breaking news photo or video? Submit that's for us here Comes with a simple explanation.
Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
