Blackman High School has a Redstone Federal Credit Union branch that students operate during lunch. NewsChannel 5 described it as the first student-operated branch of its kind inside a Tennessee high school. A 2020 Redstone announcement, by contrast, called Blackman’s location the credit union’s fifth high school branch operated by students and said it began with 10 student tellers working under teacher advisors.
Students also put financial decisions into practice at a Reality Fair hosted with Redstone Federal Credit Union, according to NewsChannel 5. The exercise had them plan for expenses such as rent, bills and groceries. Teacher Jeanette Noffsinger told the station that the hands-on activity challenged students to keep their spending within budget.
The fair included a credit-score scenario. NewsChannel 5 reported that a volunteer told a student that the scenario’s low score limited the available choices to a sedan, an SUV or public transportation. The example presented restricted options; it does not establish that a 350 score necessarily means a student cannot get a car.
The event takes place alongside a statewide graduation requirement: the Tennessee Department of Education says students must complete a half-unit of high-school Personal Finance to earn a diploma.
