Staples students are investing have been investing their time in the personal financial course, which has exploded from the original four sections to an all-time high of twelve in the upcoming school year.

Lenny Klein, a personal finance teacher, explains that the inflation is due to the fact that the curriculum introduces real life skills.

“People understand the importance of what we’re teaching kids,” Klein said. “The world we live in is much more competitive and crazy than it’s ever been, and getting ahead really has more of a premium on it.”

Klein added that the knowledge learned is valued by the parents, community, administration, and most importantly, the students.

“It’s a lot of fun, you learn a lot, and the things you learn are very applicable to life,” Andrew Van Riper ’16 said.

The course covers content such as budgeting and saving, gross pay, net pay, taxes, banking, investing, insurance, credit cards, and borrowing money, which will provide a beginner-level knowledge after leaving high school.

Ruby Steinberg ’14, who completed the course this year, plans to use what she was taught when attending college, purchasing her first house, and when, unfortunately, she must start paying her own bills.

In addition to the current course being offered, an advanced version will be offered starting next year called Financial Decision Making in the Digital Age.

Gertrude Denton, a teacher who will be instructing the course, explains that it will teach students how to how to create, expand, care for, distribute, and protect their own financial assets.

Denton hopes that it will also open students’ eyes to “how goals can change throughout the course of life and how to align financial strategies to meet them.”

The class will focus on integrating technology. Two years ago, the school received a grant from the state of Connecticut to purchase iPads. However, with the new bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement, the class will seek resources and programs that are accessible from a variety of devices.

Current Staples High School students can look forward to this addition in the next school year.

And for those interested in getting a head start on basic financial skills, personal financial management will continue to be offered.