Following in the footsteps of other districts around the state, Brevard Public Schools is set to approve Dave Ramsey’s Christian-based financial curriculum for high schoolers at Tuesday’s board meeting.
The course is meant to “help students avoid loans and other money traps” and give them “the secure future they deserve,” according to Ramsey’s website.
Despite the curriculum being built on an evangelical Christian worldview and how to honor God with your money, the text was approved for use in Florida public schools in 2023 by the state board of education.
Pasco County’s school board unanimously approved the curriculum in 2023 despite reviewers saying the textbook was “riddled with problems” and included quotes from Scripture to back up key points, according to a report by WUSF. Ramsey’s website doesn’t say how many other districts in Florida use the curriculum. FLORIDA TODAY reached out for clarification but received no response.
Brevard’s school board will vote on whether or not to approve it on Tuesday at the 5:30 p.m. meeting, according to the agenda published on the district’s website. Members of the public can comment ahead of the vote.
Who is Dave Ramsey?
Ramsey, the founder and CEO of Ramsey Solutions — a company that provides financial undefined services with a Biblical-based worldview — is a personal finance expert and host of “The Ramsey Show” podcast. According to his website, he fought his way out of bankruptcy and millions of dollars in debt, then set out to change the “toxic money culture” and provide a Bible-based financial curriculum for people from all walks of life.
The legitimacy of his financial advice has been debated for more than 10 years, with a Reuters article from 2013 calling his investing advice that of a “financial illiterate.” The article adds that his advice is targeted toward people who generally won’t be able to afford to invest in the ways he suggests anyway. He offers encouragement to save money, though doesn’t excel at explaining how to do so, critics said.
What does Ramsey’s curriculum cover?
“Foundations in Personal Finance” is a high school curriculum that covers topics such as budgeting and saving, avoiding debt, investing and more. The curriculum includes a textbook, as well as videos with finance experts and online student activities.
It was approved by the Florida Department of Education for the 2023-2024 school year for the Florida high school course Personal Finance and Money Management, as well as its honors counterpart.
Is Dave Ramsey’s curriculum approved by Florida’s board of education?
Ramsey’s book was on The Florida Department of Education’s list of approved materials for the 2023-2024 school year. The list of approved materials for the 2025-2026 school year is still being finalized.
Ramsey’s website says the material in “Foundations in Personal Finance” and “Foundations in Economics and Personal Finance” meets the requirements for two different Florida high school courses and claims that 45% of schools in the United States use the Foundations curriculum.
How did Brevard pick Dave Ramsey’s curriculum?
The recommendation to use Ramsey’s book came from Brevard’s Personal Finance Review Team and community members who reviewed the books at Viera Middle School in October, according to the district’s website. The book was also available to view for feedback online from Sept. 20 through Nov. 18, with feedback shared with the District Review Team.
What does Florida’s personal financial literacy course teach?
Florida’s Personal Financial Literacy course is designed to introduce students to concepts including the American economic system, personal and family management of resources and income, money management, saving and investing, spending and credit, consumer information and taxation, financial planning and the role of financial institutions, according to the Florida Department of Education.
It became a required class for high schoolers during the 2023-2024 school year, when a financial literacy course law signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis took effect.
According to the Council for Economic Education, in 2024, 35 states required students to take a course in personal finance to graduate from high school.
Can parents choose another curriculum?
If the school board approves the curriculum at the Tuesday school board meeting, Brevard County residents can contest the selection within 30 days. For any petitions received within this timeframe, the school board will be required to hold at least one public hearing before an “unbiased and qualified hearing officer” who cannot be an employee of the district, according to their website. Petitioners must be given an opportunity to present their issue with the curriculum. The school board’s decision after the hearing is final.
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker.
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