The mountain area’s newspaper since 1958
WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2025
VOLUME 66 | ISSUE 30
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Schools consider financial literacy curriculum New law asks what teens must learn about handling money BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SUZIE@COTLN.ORG
Evergreen’s drinking water comes from Evergreen Lake, which the metro district says already contains fluoride.
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Evergreen Metro reconsidering removal of fluoride BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG
An earlier decision by the Evergreen Metro District to remove added fluoridation from Evergreen’s water is undergoing further study. Board members raised new questions on the idea that came after an Evergreen wom-
an brought concerns about both the decision and the way it was broadcast to residents during their May 28 meeting. “Fluoride is one of the 10 public health interventions of the 20th century,” said Beth Kapner, a retired teacher and Evergreen resident. “To take it out, given its scientific basis in reducing cavities and without
any public discussion, is just mind boggling to me. “My concern is also the complete lack of advanced warning this was even being discussed.” EMD general manager Jason Stawski said the chemical hasn’t yet been removed from Evergreen’s water, though the board did vote to do so in 2024
HAPPENINGS 9 | VOICES 10 | LIFE 22 | PUZZLES 27
— a decision based on both cost savings and staff safety. After hearing from Kapner and seeing her findings, the board is now seeking more information. “I think there’s a chance that we won’t move forward,” Stawski said. “We’re still conSEE DRINKING WATER, P5
What the law requires, and what it doesn’t
While the law sets a content requirement, it allows schools to integrate the financial literacy standards into an existing course rather than create a new standalone class. But, students must understand and practice filling out the federal or state fiSEE LITERACY, P6
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Forget balancing a checkbook. Today’s teens need to know how to avoid identity theft, decode a credit score and figure out if that “buy now, pay later” plan is actually worth it. With a new state law requiring all Colorado high school students to complete a course in financial literacy beginning with students in the 9th grade on or after Sept. 1, 2026, educators now face a practical challenge: how do you design a course that prepares 21st-century teens to make smart financial choices in a world of skyrocketing rents, digital wallets, student loans and TikTok stock tips? The law, House Bill 25-1192, mandates a semester-long course in personal financial literacy for every public school student, beginning with the class of 2028. But it leaves the details up to local school districts, many of which are still figuring out what today’s students need most: the basics of budgeting and saving, yes, but also how to navigate the gig economy, manage online spending and protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated financial scams.