Anne Arundel County Public Schools will require students to earn a half-credit in financial literacy to graduate, beginning with freshmen who enter high school in the 2026–27 school year, Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell announced.
Bedell made the announcement during the Board of Education’s December 17, 2025, meeting as the board continued discussing changes to Policy IIC, Graduation Requirements. AACPS said making financial literacy a graduation requirement is included in Administrative Regulation IIC-RA, which falls under the superintendent’s authority.
Financial Literacy Requirement Starts With 2026–27 Freshmen
“There is no question that the need to produce students who are financially literate is real,” Dr. Bedell said. “Adults who are not financially literate cannot lead the global economy into which our students will enter.”
The new requirement will apply to students beginning high school in the 2026–27 school year, meaning the first class impacted would be the Class of 2030…