Local bank opens branch at Holy Trinity Elementary school

HARTINGTON — The newest “branch” of Security Bank opened its doors for the first time Sept. 13.

Business will be limited to savings deposits for Holy Trinity students.

The “student branch” is located at Holy Trinity Elementary, and the Sept.

13 opening was the culmination of a five-month planning process involving Holy Trinity school administration, Security Bank, and the Nebraska Council on Economic Education housed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The Holy Trinity Branch is the first in-school branch of Security Bank.

Others plan to be opened in Laurel and Coleridge in October. These branches are part of the growing In School Savings Program across Nebraska.

“Our role is to help expand economic and financial literacy across Nebraska. Research shows that in-school savings programs contribute indirectly to saving regularly through the direct influence on getting students to open a bank account and open it early. (Davidson and Walstad, 2022).” said Dr.

Jennifer Davidson, President of NCEE.

The student branch at Holy Trinity Elementary is designed to: - introduce the economic concept of savings early and reinforce this idea throughout the elementary curriculum; - demonstrate saving should be part of a student’s personal finance plan; - provide the opportunity to discover careers in banking and finance; - increase parental involvement through savings and banking activity.

“The goal of this program is to provide our students the opportunities to not only learn about savings and how financial institutions operate, but to also become savers themselves,” said Stacy Uttecht, Principal at Holy Trinity, “We are building a community of economically literate students here at Holy Trinity and want our children to become savvy savers.”

During the last five months, Davidson met with Uttecht and of Security Bank officials to set up the project.

Student tellers were interviewed and selected by teachers at Holy Trinity and trained by Security Bank staff.

Targeted savings lessons will be taught by teachers in grades K-6 to prepare students to be better savers.

“It has been great to work with the tellers. They are learning great skills that will stay with them as they continue their education and get them prepared for the future,” said Brandon Baller, of Security Bank.