On Tuesday, students at Ray Darr Elementary learned the value of doing well in school by cashing in on their good deeds through IBC Bank’s Minitropolis program, also known as Maverickville.  

This is the next phase in a successful financial literacy program that was launched last fall at Ray H. Darr Elementary with the help of IBC Bank-Eagle Pass.

This spring, students have earned "Maverick bucks" through improved attendance, good behavior and active class participation in reading programs. Students who have made “Maverick Buck” deposits throughout the school year may withdrawal funds and purchase an item from the Mavericks R’ Us school store. They can even deposit money back in if they want to save.

"It (the program) builds leadership qualities, character and responsibility," said Literacy Specialist Tina Marquez who along with colleague Bertha Ritchie and Counselor Cecilia Sifuentes have been working diligently to instill these core values, "The students are leading this and that's where responsibility comes in."

Sifuentes introduced the personnel of the new Maverickville Branch of IBC which opened this fall at Darr which includes Corral, Vice President Gissel Jayasi, Teller Supervisor Natalie Baltazar, Human resources Director Janell Guerrero, Tellers Ervey Anzurez, Jose Anzurez, Jacquiline Becrril, Clarissa Garcia, Rachel De La Garza, Maria Ramirez and Desiree Vielma and even Security Guards Guillermo Mendoza, Alondra Rodriguez and Ingrid Rodriguez.

"It's helped our attendance.  The students get a dollar for every day they are here on time, as a matter of fact when we started the program parents were asking what we were doing because her child was getting up earlier and wanting to be in school on time, so that's a good sign that it's working," said Sifuentes who said she uses the program to address behavior and who added that the average size of students' bank accounts range in the amount of $80.

"I learned that you have to be responsible with money and I want to thank IBC for helping us with this program which has helped us learn about finance," said Corral, our very courteous Maverickville Branch President.

"It encourages our students to try hard, get better grades, behave, listen to their teachers," said Martinez, "I'm also glad the program has reading involved because reading is important in anything you do and we wouldn't be able to do any of this without reading."

"It has really helped our little students at Maverickville," stated Principal Adelita Olivares, "Because they have improved their behavior and it has encouraged them to be better students.  It has also promoted our programs such as the Accelerated Reading Program, Success Maker, Think Through Math because the students are trying to accumulate points in order to acquire more Maverick Bucks.

"We're very excited," said Superintendent Gilbert Gonzalez, "Our students are learning about banking, business, the concept of saving and spending.  They also set goals for themselves as far as saving for specific prizes and working towards this goal, so we're very grateful to IBC Bank and of course Mrs. Olivares and her staff for their tremendous job in volunteering to pilot this program."

IBC Bank worked diligently with school officials to develop the concept for the Maverickville Minitropolis®, which functions as a city within a school. The fundamental goal of the IBC Bank’s Minitropolis® program is to help students gain an understanding of financial concepts while learning the value of leadership and responsibility that will set them up for success as adults.