By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Feb. 26, 2026) Worcester County Public Schools officials outlined the system’s approach to financial literacy instruction last week, prompting board members to discuss whether an official course should become a high school graduation requirement.

Jess McInerney, coordinator of social studies, JROTC, service learning, and financial literacy at WCPS, presented an overview of how financial literacy is taught across grade levels.

Under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), school systems are required to teach financial literacy in grades 3-12. The state mandates that students complete a financial literacy unit once in grades three through five, once in grades six through eight, and once in grades nine through 12.

Maryland’s standards focus on six areas: making informed and financially responsible decisions; relating careers, education, and income; planning and managing money; managing credit and debt; managing risks and preserving wealth; and creating and building wealth.

McInerney explained that while the state requires instruction beginning in third grade, Worcester County begins teaching financial literacy concepts a little earlier, starting in kindergarten.

McInerney said that kindergarten students explore the question, “How do people choose their jobs and careers?” First graders learn about decision-making and trade, including goods, services, and bartering. Second graders focus on how consumers make financial decisions, while also learning to count money and apply those skills in real-world scenarios.

In grades three through five, instruction continues through social studies with a personal finance unit in fifth grade. Students learn about savings, borrowing, and taxation, while applying math skills such as adding and subtracting decimal values and discussing opportunity cost.

In middle school, students continue building on economic standards, with a dedicated financial literacy unit in seventh grade. Instruction covers career exploration, wants versus needs, and available resources. These topics are coupled with math, which includes lessons on commissions, discounts, percent increase and decrease, loans, credit versus debit and compound interest of those loans.

Through a partnership with Junior Achievement, sixth graders participate in BizTown, where they simulate running businesses and managing finances.

“That’s where they build their entrepreneurial spirit,” McInerney said.

Seventh graders attend Finance Park, where they are assigned a career scenario, calculate net monthly income, create budgets, apply for mortgages and reconcile credit card statements. Eighth graders participate in career exploration activities and meet professionals in a variety of fields.

At the high school level, financial literacy is taught during a 15- to 20-day unit in ninth grade government courses. This segment focuses on career choices and personal income. Algebra I classes expand on financial concepts such as investing, depreciation, exponential growth and compound interest.

Also in high school, students may take electives including consumer and personal finance, economics, and Career and Technical Education pathways such as business marketing, accounting and finance. Opportunities outside of regular school instruction include youth apprenticeship programs and Future Business Leaders of America chapters.

“Financial literacy in Maryland is required grades three through 12, focusing on one time in each grade band,” McInerney said. “In Worcester County, we do this throughout K-12. We are very appreciative of our community partners.”

Board member Jon Andes said McInerney’s presentation stemmed from his request to examine whether the system should add a financial literacy class as a graduation requirement. Currently, nine of Maryland’s 24 school systems mandate that students earn either a half-credit or full-credit financial literacy course to pass high school.

“There are 22 credits required for graduation,” Andes said, noting students often have room in their schedules for additional courses.

He continued, “I want to make sure our students have a background in financial literacy so if they go to college or technical school, they understand student loan programs, scholarships, grants, and paying them back. If they go work for someone else, that gross pay is not their net pay…plus all the other aspects of dealing with finances in life. I am asking us to start considering whether we should require an additional high school graduation requirement in some class of financial literacy.”

Board president Todd Ferrante added that financial education is vital to real-world success.

“Being successful in life is learning how to manage finances,” he said. “If we don’t teach students this at an early age, then we are doing them a disservice.”

The Worcester County Board of Education indicated it would continue to consider adding a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement.