Beth Kornegay Special for the Times | USA TODAY NETWORK
The Community National Bank of Basehor launched a program late last year to encourage local students to get good grades while helping them learn about financial responsibility and the importance of saving money . Students from kindergarten to high school are eligible to participate and benefit from their hard work.
Students bring their end-of-year or semester report card to any Community National Bank location where $1 will be deposited for each grade of “A” and 50 cents will be deposited for each grade of “B” in a specialized savings account in the name of the student. . Newly created accounts must have an initial opening balance of $5, but current savings accounts can be converted to an Honors account. To qualify for the CNB deposit, this money must be matched by the parent, guardian or student and the parent or guardian must also be on the account. Parents or guardians must also have an account with CNB.
Tony Zuzzio, vice president and branch manager of the bank at Basehor, said the program has been in development for nine months and his branch has already received a good response from parents and students.
“Our goal has always been to get more involved in the school community and this is a great way to do that while encouraging students to get good grades and develop a saving habit. CNB is a community bank with offices in Seneca, Tonganoxie, Basehor and Sabetha and it is very important to us to have good relationships with local schools, community organizations and community members. This program is another way to serve our communities,” he said.
In addition to getting paid for good grades, CNB also offers a financial education program that teachers from all local schools can enroll in to help students learn how to save and spend money in a fun way. . This program is linked to the Specialty Savings Program by giving students $5 to deposit into their account upon completion of the course. This program is also relatively new, and interest is high. Current account holders can also participate without opening a new account.
In its first year, CNB expects to use $25,000 through this program across all locations, but expects to see increased community engagement across the company each year with up to $100,000 in these locations. Honors savings accounts. If all Basehor-Linwood USD 458 students participated in the program, this year alone, CNB would donate over $3,000.
Ashley Razak, communications coordinator for Basehor-Linwood USD 458, recently set up accounts for her children to allow them to participate and help them get rewarded for their good grades.
“I worked to teach my kids that every little bit of savings helps, so when I saw they had the opportunity to earn money for good grades at Community National Bank, we took full advantage of it. Kids are now excited to take on the challenge of maximizing the reward each semester,” Razak said.
Community National Bank was established in 1984. The Basehor branch is located at 15718 Pinehurst Drive.