It doesn’t seem right to Mikel Miller that Kansas students are required to take a class in physical education before they can graduate but they aren’t required to take a course in personal finance.

A new bill in the Kansas Legislature would change that.

Miller, executive director of the Kansas Council on Economic Education, is pushing for approval of a bill that would require personal finance lessons to be incorporated into math classes in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“We think it is essential because one of the first things that happens as soon as they graduate from high school, if not before, is that they get in trouble with their credit cards,” Miller said. “It’s not like it used to be. It is not hard to get credit anymore. And it is very tempting for young people, and that’s why they need education about it.”

The bill, which already has passed the Senate, would require the Kansas State Board of Education to create a personal finance curriculum that could be worked into math classes for each grade.

Miller says many districts, including Lawrence, offer classes on personal finance, but often they are not required to be taken. She said that’s why the Wichita-based association was pushing for the subject to be included in classes required for graduation.

If personal finance education isn’t provided in schools, Miller said, it would create additional costs for government and businesses in the long run.

“It will have quite an impact on businesses,” Miller said. “If more people default on loans, that will increase the costs for everyone. And if people don’t learn how to save for the future, there will be a burden put on society when they reach old age. Some people aren’t ever going to be able to retire.”

The bill, if approved, is expected to cost the state board of education $15,000 to create a personal finance curriculum. Miller said members of private industry in the Wichita area have pledged to donate that money.

Miller said the new requirement shouldn’t cost school districts any additional money because there are a number of brochures, books and teaching aids available for no cost from various nonprofit and industry groups.

A bill has been introduced in the state legislature that would require school districts to start teaching personal finance as part of math classes. Fred Fergus, a seventh-grade math teacher at West Junior High School, works Wednesday on a math exercise with students.

Lynda Allen, director of mathematics and sciences for Lawrence Public Schools, said she liked the idea of teaching personal finance in math classes but is worried about costs.

“I would be skeptical that there would be no costs associated with this,” Allen said.

Allen said any major program would require additional planning time for the district’s teachers, which would result in additional costs for the schools.

Allen said the district does have some math classes that discuss personal finance, and the high schools offer a consumer mathematics class, but it is not required for graduation.

“I think everybody understands it is important information to teach,” Allen said. “But it is hard to imagine that with all the budget cuts, they are wanting us to teach more.”