BOURBON - Triton Junior/Senior High School science teacher and Student Responsibility Committee chairwoman Dawn Slein told the Triton School Board Monday about a program in the works to help teach Triton students learn about money management.

The program is called "Reality Store." It was developed by Business and Professional Women USA as a tool for teaching students about the real world of bill payments and budgeting.

Students look into the future and decide on the occupation they see themselves in at age 28. They are randomly assigned either a single or married status and a possible zero, one, two, three or four children.

Then they make a trip to the Reality Store, where they first visit the Internal Revenue Service booth to find out what their annual and monthly pay would be and have their taxes deducted. The students then visit booths on housing, car and insurance payments, where they make choices on what kind of vehicle they'll drive, whether they'll live in an apartment or house, how large their home will be and how much insurance coverage they will need. There are approximately 20 booths ranging from banking investments to hair care. There is even a booth known as the "Fickle Finger of Fate," where an unexpected expense or possibly a benefit is added to their accounts. The goal of the exercise is for students to make it all the way through the Reality Store, making all the required payments, with money left over in their account.

Slein told the board her committee plans to make the Reality Store as realistic as possible. She said the students' grade point averages and interests will be taken into account when they choose their occupations and those who meet the criteria for a job requiring a college education will have student loan costs deducted from their accounts. Slein said Reality Store helps the students understand all the factors of making ends meet later in life.

"A lot of kids don't have any idea," she said. "It gives them a little dose of what it takes."

Slein said her committee plans to hold a teacher walk-through of the event March 4. They will hold the event for students sometime next year.

In other news, the board accepted the resignation of Triton Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Randy Cripe. Cripe accepted a position as principal at Oregon-Davis Elementary School. Board president Kevin Boyar said Cripe's resignation was reluctantly accepted and the board wishes him well.

The board heard a second reading of the retirement and severance benefits policy for classified personnel.

Superintendent Ted Chittum reported to the board on the open house held at the junior/senior high school Feb. 9. Chittum said approximately 40 attended and toured the school to examine some of the facility needs that have been called to attention as the board has presented the new building plan in recent weeks. He reminded the board a third public forum on the plan will be held in the junior/senior high school library Thursday at 7 p.m. and a 1028 hearing on the plan will be held Feb. 26. [[In-content Ad]]