Lotteries have been around since 1612 when it was first held in Jamestown in America. Most lotteries advertise that they are supporting public schools with the money that comes in. While it sounds like a good deed, it’s tough to understand how playing the lottery can be helpful to public schools in any way.
What lotteries are all about?
When the lottery was first set up, it was created as a game of chance for people to get an equal opportunity to win prizes. The first lottery was made up of half the budget needed for Jamestown to set up its colony. Since then, lotteries have only gained more and more popularity, so much so that US Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson supported the use of the funds for various projects, including the revolutionary war.
Lotteries have come a long way and today, most claim to support public schools by helping with infrastructure and helping support education. Here’s how lotteries have supported public schools in various states.
North Carolina schools
The state of North Carolina (NC) has seen large contributions from the lottery being diverted to public schools. According to a report by Fay Observer, Cumberland County has gained more than $79.4 million from the lottery and this is just in the last six years, which would lead one to think that NC lotteries have greatly benefited North Carolina’s public school system, especially as the NC education lottery has to date contributed a total of $2.2 billion towards public education and this came extremely handy during the last economic recession. If you visit the website of the NC education lottery, you will get a breakdown of how they support teachers by providing salaries, providing financial aid to students for college, and also providing scholarships to deserving students.
Virginia schools
Based on a Washington Post report, the state of Virginia (VA) has received total funding of $22 million for public schools from the Mega Millions lottery game alone. Apparently, all proceedings that come from this lottery are directed towards public education. The retailers who work for this lottery on commission earn more than $2.4 million. From the report, the state of VA can generate as much as $1.2 million every day towards public school contributions. In 2011, the lottery contribution in VA for public schools was a total of $444 million. This is around 8% of the total funding for public schools all over.
California schools
Another state that benefits a great deal from lotteries is the state of California (CA). Mega Millions, in particular, contribute up to 32 cents for every dollar spent on their tickets. If you thought this was a small amount, get this, potentially exceeding $100 million, this total contribution and this money can save a lot of teaching jobs (around 1000, to be precise).
Where does the money go?
While all contributions the lottery system makes toward the education system sound great, the most common question people have is why aren’t situations improving when the lottery is thriving? One of the biggest problems with the lottery contribution is the state often anticipates losses and cuts the budget. There have been many questions asked about the system, however, there is no proof that the funds are misused.
Conclusion
Although it’s not very transparent as to how and where the money is used for public schooling, it is very much out there. Even though it is not obvious, it has helped public schools in numerous ways. Whether or not the money has been used for public school development, it’s a good initiative. It’s only a matter of time before public schools start to see more benefits, thanks to the contributions from the lottery.
