Free financial literacy session available to Sto-Rox parents
By Jamie Wiggan
-School News-
A recently-appointed school director has teamed up with law school connections to put on a financial literacy presentation for members of the Sto-Rox community.
Scheduled for Feb. 12, the one-hour informational session will provide free hints on credit management, budgeting and affordable borrowing options for investments like homes and student loans.
Students, parents and other community residents can all join the online event, led by national non-profit Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) in partnership with the Allegheny County Bar Association.
“It’s really just all around providing financial help for communities,” said Antonio Bonnetty, the Sto-Rox school director who organized the presentation.
Since his appointment to the board in August, Bonnetty said he has been looking for ways to use his resources and connections at Duquesne University’s School of Law, where he is a second-year student, to build up the Sto-Rox community. After learning the county bar association was working to bring the CARE program into local communities, he said he immediately sensed it could serve families in the district.
“Before I was elected, I heard it was expressed people were trying to find out more how to handle financial issues,” Bonnetty said.
According to the latest available census data, more than 27% of the 12,000 residents who make up the Sto-Rox community live below the federal poverty line, compared with just 12% of all residents statewide.
Board President Samantha Levitzki-Wright said the presentation fits into existing efforts to improve the school by focusing resources on the wellbeing of the community.
“I’m excited to see it because… once we empower our parents, our parents start to succeed… and it trickles down to our students,” she said. “I’m really glad [Bonnetty] joined the school board because that’s the direction we were trying to go in.”
Bonnetty said he hopes the financial literacy event is the first of many resources he can bring to the district to help students and families.
“…It seems as I’ve been a part of the board, there’s been more and more interest in [this kind of] involvement – people want to grow, people wanna do things.”
Note: The event will be held virtually from 4 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 12. For sign-up information and other questions, email Antonio Bonnetty: abonnetty@srsd.k12.pa.uk