Rep. Corey Paris, D-Stamford, and Rep. Tom Delnicki, R-South Windsor, shared a friendly embrace at a press conference announcing a proposal to require financial literacy education for Connecticut high school students. Erica E. Phillips / CT Mirror

The Education Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 1165, which would require high school students in Connecticut to have completed a half-credit course in “financial management and financial literacy” in order to graduate.

State Treasurer Erick Russell testified in favor of the bill, as did numerous local credit unions and banks.

Derby Superintendent of Schools Matt Conway opposed the legislation, noting that many districts already offer financial literacy as an elective. “We believe adding another graduation requirement reduces choice for all students,” Conway said.

Others argued that the proposed curriculum wouldn’t go far enough, with one resident suggesting the state’s public schools offer a broader program he called, “Adulting 101: Skills for a Better Life.”

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Erica covers economic development for CT Mirror. Before moving to Connecticut to join the staff she worked in Los Angeles for public radio’s Marketplace and, before that, for the Wall Street Journal's L.A. bureau. She grew up in Minneapolis, MN, graduated from Haverford College and earned a master’s in journalism from the University of Southern California.