Westside has always prided itself in preparing its students for the real world. That is why we see the modular scheduling, which mimics college scheduling, and the amount of technology that is also in our school.

In the past, Personal Finance has only been a strongly encouraged option for Westside students. For next year’s incoming freshmen, the Business department is making a change to their requirements. Personal Finance will now become a required class for freshmen to take in place of Consumerism.

“I am ecstatic. I have wanted this for years. With all that is going on in the economy and in the national news, it is apparent that Personal Finance is a must. I could not be more happy with the choice” said Personal Finance instructor Rita Leehy.

Personal Finance allows for a much more in-depth learning about finances compared to Consumerism.

“The topics are really important but the timeframe is what hurts us; we go way too fast,” said Leehy.

Students are able to get a much more solid understanding of finances in the real world because of the class.

“The students in Personal Finance think the Consumerism test is much easier because we have a whole semester to teach them” said Leehy.