Top saver to student banker, fall ushers in the opening of in-school banks in southwest Iowa

September 28, 2023

Council Bluffs, IA, September 27, 2023 - Last week all four TS Bank in-school student-led banks opened at Rue, Franklin and College View Elementary with Council Bluffs Community School District as well as Treynor Elementary with their ‘back to banking’ kickoff.

The student-banking program is part of the K-12 curriculum established by TS Bank in 2009 as a way to help create a more financially, savvy future generation and collaborate with school districts to promote financial literacy and wellness. Last year over 6,200 deposits were made by students at TS Bank’s four in-school banks, and through the overall financial curriculum nearly 10,000 students in southwest Iowa are impacted annually.

Students are introduced to financial concepts with hands-on training to help make sound money decisions. According to state records, the TS Bank in-school branches are some of the first school districts in Iowa and second in the nation to offer a unique combination of K-12 in school banking and classroom program experience.

One student saver who enjoys learning about money is Brynne Morehead. She has been a top saver at the College View Elementary Little Lynx Branch since kindergarten and will now serve as one of this year’s fifth grade student bankers.

“What I love about TS Bank is how it helps other kids have the opportunity to bank,” said Brynne Morehead, fifth grade student banker. Listen to more of her story in this special video interview below.

The student bank is designed to introduce the economic concept of saving money at an early age and reinforce this idea throughout the elementary, middle and high school curriculum. In addition, the bank demonstrates that saving money should be part of a student’s financial plan for his or her future, as well as increases parental involvement in children’s lives through banking activity.

“The key objective of the program is to provide students, K-12, with the knowledge to make sound financial decisions and I am so excited for another year of impact and growth,” said Traci Dresher, Programs Manager. “This program is building skill sets they will use beyond today. We love talking to students about setting a goal, as it is more about the frequency than the amount they save. It is all about helping create lifelong saving habits.”

When Brynne grows up, she wants to be a baker or a dog trainer and perhaps open her own business someday. She loves crafting, golfing and seeing her younger brother at the student bank this year.

“Helpful, kind and easy are words used to describe my school bank. I choose to save so when I’m older it will help me buy a house or a car,” added Brynne Morehead. “As a fifth-grade student banker I am looking forward to helping other kids. TS Bank is awesome and easy to do!”

Heading into the new school year, the future is bright for our young friend, Miss Brynne Morehead and all students in southwest Iowa.

Additionally, the company’s financial education efforts were on display at the recent Iowa Jumpstart Coalition conference in Des Moines with a breakout session called, “Highlighting the Magic of the Program – In School Banks” presented by Kyle Osborne, Director of Financial Literacy and Traci Dresher. Additionally, Kyle Osborne received a certificate of distinguished recognition as a long-time board member with the Iowa JumpStart Coalition.

Since 2009, TS Banking Group, the bank holding company of TS Bank, has reinvested over $1.25 million specifically toward increasing financial literacy. Efforts in financial education originally started in the Treynor School District before expanding across southwest Iowa. Over the last several years, this financial literacy programming has grown to include North Dakota and Illinois through TS Banking Group's additional bank charters.

About TS Bank: TS Bank’s mission is to Ignite Prosperity® in the communities it serves. Leading the resurgence of community banking, TS Bank reinvests 10 percent of their net income locally; hosting educational events and partners with local organizations and non-profits. TS Bank was chartered in 1923 and has $432 million in assets, along with the largest Iowa state-chartered C-Corp trust department west of Des Moines at nearly $267 million in assets named TS Prosperity Group. Locations include Treynor, Macedonia, Atlantic, Corning, Council Bluffs and Ames, Iowa. For more information visit tsbank.com.