Somerset High School Case Study

 

Overview

At Somerset High School in Somerset, Texas, 77% of the 1,175 students come from low-income, economically disadvantaged households, over half of which live in single parent homes or with grandparents. To help them escape continued financial uncertainty into adulthood, the school implemented the Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum by Ramsey Education—empowering students to break generational cycles of poverty, build lasting financial confidence, and create a positive mindset shift in their community.

“We pretty much live paycheck to paycheck. There’s stuff we need that we cannot have because there’s even more important stuff we need. The money goes to that.” — Dania S., Foundations in Personal Finance Student at Somerset High School

Challenge

Amy Quintanilla, an educator at Somerset High School, noted that students from financially unstable backgrounds often face a “mental disadvantage because they feel this is going to be their future.” They’ve only ever seen their families struggle with debt and financial insecurity. The reality is that most teens nationwide have never really been challenged to learn how money really works. Recognizing this, the educators at Somerset High School knew they needed a fresh approach—one that offered both structure and support. Their goal: to help students build strong money habits as a foundation that they can carry into their lives (pre- and post-graduation) and share with their communities.

“. . . I could see my failures in my mentality of I get money, and I want to spend [money] already . . . and the more I got into this class, I understood how I had to change my spending so I could have a good future financially.” — Dania S., Foundations in Personal Finance Student at Somerset High School

Solution

To change the narrative, Master Teacher Terry White shared a powerful vision with district leadership—one that extended far beyond simply teaching basic economics. He proposed bringing the Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum to Somerset High School, emphasizing how its practical, commonsense teaching on personal finance habits like budgeting and saving money can ultimately uplift entire families and the community as a whole. That vision aligned with a new Texas law requiring personal finance education as an option and quickly resolved all pushback from district leaders. Soon after, the school’s curriculum director reached out to Ramsey Education, starting the process of bringing Foundations in Personal Finance to Somerset High School.

“One of the biggest selling points of the Ramsey curriculum, especially for us and where we are with our demographics, is that it already had Spanish included. It had everything we needed. It had all the lessons, it had the activities, it had the quizzes, the tests at the end of the unit, and it was all in Spanish, which is a huge bonus for our students.” — Terry White, Master Teacher at Somerset High School

From the start, Foundations in Personal Finance is a curriculum built by teachers, for teachers—combining research-backed strategies, real-world application, and behavior-driven learning. The result? A classroom game changer. Educators praised its clarity, accessibility and built-in support tools—from financial vocabulary breakdowns to ready-to-use activities and engaging video lessons. The flexible format made it easy to adapt for all learners, including those in SPED or dyslexia-coded programs, with Spanish translations available on all materials to remove language barriers.

“I was really excited about the shift from traditional economics to personal finance literacy . . . because I saw that there was a need within our students to know how to open a bank account, to know how to manage their money, to know how to make a budget. I saw the need.” — Amy Quintanilla, Teacher at Somerset High School

Are you a teacher? Help your students win with money today!

A standout feature Somerset High School educators loved? The budgeting exercises. These helped students connect the dots between core concepts like debt elimination and saving strategies, showcasing that Foundations in Personal Finance doesn’t just push financial literacy, it gives teachers the tools to help students build real-world money habits that actually stick.

“Now I know that debt [is just] a really bad thing. It's never a situation that I would necessarily want to be in. But now I feel with The Five Foundations learning about my budget, my savings, it's going to be a lot easier going into my future, knowing the problems, the consequences and the solutions.” — Siara L., Foundations in Personal Finance Student at Somerset High School

As you can see, Foundations in Personal Finance isn’t a one-off class students take just to claim a credit. It’s a total mindset shift, one that redefines what success looks like. It’s not about chasing millions. It’s about teaching students that they can feel confident about their money—being able to afford what they need without stress, save for what they want without guilt, and steer clear of debt with mental clarity. They’re not just learning how money works, they’re starting to believe they can build a life they’re proud of.

“I happened to be in the class while this was happening. [One young man] came in and had a huge smile on his face, and he went up to [Mrs. Quintanilla] and goes, ‘Guess what, Miss Q? I convinced my parents to stop doing payday loans. I showed them my savings journal and my dad has actually started a savings journal of his own.’” — Terry White, Master Teacher at Somerset High School

For the 300 Somerset High School students who took the class, Foundations in Personal Finance was more than a simple financial education. These students didn’t just learn how to budget—they led by example. They started conversations at home and helped redefine what it means to live in financial freedom—a life free of unaffordable bills and mounting college debt. And the impact didn’t stop with them. It spread to their families, their neighborhoods, and their greater community. This is how the narrative starts to change: One class at a time, one community at a time.

Next Steps

To learn more about Ramsey Education’s Foundations in Personal Finance and the impact it can make in your community, be sure to reach out to our team or request a demo. Then, we’ll walk with you step-by-step to implement the program with access to dedicated tools and support throughout. This is the type of financial education that will truly impact your school district and community for the better.

And remember: Financial literacy education is more than just delivering knowledge gain—it’s about establishing positive habits and behaviors that students can tap into everyday of their lives.