Some people may have taken finance classes in school, and some may have not, but at Rhinelander High School, they're fighting to make sure every Wisconsin student is financially literate, with students and teachers saying learning money management is just as important as math and science.
Rhinelander is one of many school districts across the state teaching its students about financial literacy, Wausau and Marshfield are among others. Recently, students spoke before the state legislature to get them to pass Assembly Bill 109, a bill that would require financial literacy to be taught in all Wisconsin public school districts.
Teacher Patrick Kubeny saying financial literacy is more important now than ever, saying, "Today, kids have so much more responsibility on them to plan their financial futures. Student loan debt is ridiculously out of control, we have the cost of housing going astronomically high."
Kubeny says he expects the bill to pass in the State Assembly, but still sees a few hurdles in the State Senate. Kubeny said, "Some of our senators in the state are hearing from their school boards and their superintendents that they would like to make more local decisions on this."
However, the students think their talks may have changed the minds of some legislators. Student Charlie Heck said, "The first time this bill was proposed, one of the representatives even said that he went into the meeting expecting to vote no on the bill, and then because he saw the students and their experience, he voted to pass the bill."
Kubeny says they will continue to make as many trips to Madison as necessary until the bill is passed, and encouraged residents to contact their legislators if they would like to see it pass.
