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Amendment needed to financial education policy

By Donna Joy - Blind Spots | Jul 26, 2024

For several years, I lobbied state legislators to pass a bill requiring students to earn credit in personal finance to graduate. As you may know, this requirement finally came to fruition, and starting with the 2024 cohort, entering ninth graders will be required to take a personal finance class to graduate. The intention was that students would be more financially fit in life if they knew the basics of personal finance. When people are financially stable, they are less likely to end up in prisons or rehab programs. They are more likely to be contributing members of society. Sounds great, right?

Well, it’s a bit counterproductive the way the code 18-2-7C is written, which is why I am writing this letter to the public to urge you to join me in contacting our legislators to address the problems.

The bill states that students must take the class in their 11th or 12th grade years, meaning they can’t take it in 9th or 10th grade. This stipulation forces students who wish to enroll in dual enrollment college classes during their junior and senior years to forfeit at least one opportunity because they will need to fulfill the personal finance credit. Ultimately, this will cost students more because they will need to pay the higher price of college credit once they have graduated high school.

Additionally, many students work part-time, participate in programs like James Rumsey Technical Institute, or have other commitments that take up part of their day. Limiting the personal finance requirement to the 11th and 12th grade years further restricts their scheduling options.

After speaking with educators and counselors, it appears that ensuring students take personal finance only in their 11th or 12th grade years will be a scheduling nightmare.

My suggestion is that legislators remove the stipulation that the personal finance class must be taken only in the 11th or 12th grade. Instead, they should allow flexibility to accommodate students’ unique needs.

Let’s work together to ensure that this well-intentioned requirement does not inadvertently hinder our students’ educational opportunities.

Contact House Education Chair Joe Ellington at joe.ellington@wvhouse.gov.

Contact Senate Education Chair Amy Grady at amy.grady@wvsenate.gov.

Contact our local state senator Patricia Rucker at patricia.rucker@wvsenate.gov.

Donna Joy, of Shepherdstown, is entering her second term on the Jefferson County Board of Education. She can be reached at DonnaJoyBOE@gmail.com.