Pennridge planning to add personal finance course requirement to graduate

EAST ROCKHILL — Starting with next year’s ninth graders, who will be in the class of 2026, Pennridge High School graduates would all have to take and pass a personal finance course under a proposal discussed at the Feb. 7 Pennridge School Board Curriculum Committee meeting.

“This is one of the district goals in the current comprehensive plan,” Superintendent David Bolton said. “We developed some courses, but now we are making the recommendation that it be part of the requirements.”

The district already has a Financial Foundations course and a Personal Finance course and is proposing that a Personal Finance Honors course be added, Howard Vogel, the district’s K-12 mathematics supervisor, said.

“I think everybody should go through some sort of course like this,” board member Ronald Wurz said.

Board President and Curriculum Committee Chair Joan Cullen said it is relevant and exciting.

“It’s what parents are asking for,” she said. “You see it all the time out in the community — ‘Why don’t we teach students these kinds of things?’”

Board member Megan Banis-Clemens said she also heard from businesses and banks asking about personal finance courses.

“It’s mind boggling to them when they get kids who graduated and have no idea what they’re doing as far as school loans or mortgage or car loans or anything like that,” Banis-Clemens said, “and it’s so important to know how to be able to do these things in life.”

Board member Bob…