September 14, 2023 – State Nebraska Bank & Trust reopened its Blue Devil Branch at Wayne Elementary School with 109 students making deposits, a new record!  The school branch also had 27 first-time depositors, who each received $5 in their accounts from State Nebraska Bank & Trust as an incentive to start saving.  Overall, students saved more than $600 on the bank’s first day of business this school year and earned incentives like bookmarks, mini footballs, school supplies, and coupons to local businesses based on the frequency of their deposits.

Now in its fifth year of operation, the school bank is open every Thursday at 7:30am in the cafeteria, with 24 fifth and sixth grade students working as tellers under staff supervision.  This unique savings program is part of a state-wide effort led by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education to teach financial literacy to youth.  There are more than 30 in-school savings programs operating in Nebraska and Iowa. The SNB Blue Devil Branch was the first in-school bank in northeast Nebraska, and has support from Wayne State College students who teach financial literacy lessons to elementary students. 

Permission slips are available in the office for students who wish to open an account at school.  For questions, contact our bank coordinator, Jillian Pierson, at (402) 375-1130, or visit https://statenebank.com/about/blue-devil-branch/.