San Luis Obispo High School’s newest elective: Personal Finance. Photo Graphic courtesy of sophomore Kandon Sullivan.

  Around the globe, there is the popular criticism that public high schools do not properly prepare their students for the real world. San Luis Obispo High School is choosing to change this narrative with its newest elective option: Personal Finance. 

  This class will help many students with learning how to budget and manage their funds, a skill that will be used for the rest of their lives.

  Studies show 75 percent of teens lack confidence in their personal finance knowledge, and 32 percent don’t know the difference between a credit card and a debit card.  The lack of knowledge surrounding personal finance is plaguing students, and as they become more independent, their finances should reflect the same development. 

  “Personal Finance is more for adults to navigate the real world for their home lives, not a corporate environment. Students wanting to major in business should consider AP Microeconomics and/or AP Macroeconomics as those are typically introductory courses for a business degree,” said economics teacher Gregory Ross.

  Personal Finance has stark differences compared to Business Finance; in personal finance, students will learn how to manage and budget their own funds, as opposed to just handling money. Although, business majors may not focus on this class, it’s importance toward the average student is crucial. Being able to handle one’s own savings is a skill that will be needed for the rest of these students’ lives. 

  “I’m really considering taking this class in the future, it looks fun and I think it will really set me up for the future,” said sophomore Kelton Sullivan. 

  Many SLOHS students are unaware that this elective is even an option for the 2026-2027 school year, but this class is something that every student should make room for. Upperclassmen will fill most of the slots, but underclassmen should take this elective into consideration for their future schedules. Building a solid foundation for knowing how to manage one’s personal savings, is a vital skill for adulthood. 

  “I think this class will be really cool because of inflation the world is gonna change and kids need to learn about investments,” said sophomore Parker Moerman. 

  Unfortunately, this class will not be a part of the business CTE pathway, but it contains essential knowledge that students will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

  So, Tigers, get hyped for this class that is starting during the next 2026-2027 school year. 

  Source: news4jax.com