OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – At Oak Hill Middle School, students spent their morning learning the basics of personal finance and budgeting.
“The students are given an identity ten years out of high school,” said program coordinator Pat Ramsburg. “They have a family to support, They have a job they can get in West Virginia with a high school diploma. Their task is to go all the stations and buy basic goods and services for a month.”
The 8th-graders quickly learn that sometimes, that’s much easier said than done. Trying to support a family of three on a $21,000 salary might take more budgeting than the students expected. Several students were surprised to learn how much certain necessities would cost. Luckily, the students could trade in their high-school-diploma jobs for a higher paying career for the second round.
“[They get a] new job, new family, and the money is twice as much because they have certifications beyond high school,” Ramsburg said.
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