Preparing our 2018 graduates for the future

by Cindy Lance

Each year the Student Leadership team meets with the administrators and Board of Education to reflect on what is going well and to present ideas for improvement. This year, one topic of discussion was the need for teaching our students the basics of money management before they start the journey beyond high school. To that end, teacher Elizabeth Cyr was able to secure a financial planner to come and talk with the graduating seniors during first block on May 1.

In summary, Kevin Brennan delivered the following message to those in attendance:

Top five skills a graduate should have in money management:

1. Should you get a credit card? A: Yes, but plastic is not free money. Get good credit, and keep it. It’ll save you money and make borrowing easier and cheaper when you need it.
2. I never have any money:  A: Savings: Make scheduled deposits before you have a chance to spend your money.
3. Ew, fine print: A: Read before you sign. Contracts and leases are binding.
4. I’m so young! Retirement planning? A: Yes! Old age is coming. The sooner you start saving, the greater the amount you accrue.
5. I’ve heard of a budget. What is it? A: Figure out your income. Plan your expenditures. Allocate the funds. Not in your budget? You’ll need to wait until you can afford it. A dollar here, a dollar there–pretty soon you’re talking real money.

Afterward, Taylar Baldwin, one of the Student Leadership team who presented the idea to the board, said, “in public schools we never get to learn about personal finances, so bringing someone in was very helpful. Parents also usually do not present the in-depth information that was provided in the seminar.”