The North Carolina Education Lottery (to buy, construction, pre-school)

[NMyTree]

Interesting title.

So can someone explain to me where all this money from this so-called "Education Lottery" goes?

Every year people are winning millions, upon millions.......upon millions of dollars by playing the "North Carolina Education Lottery" which results in millions, upon millions.......upon millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Yet ......

Teachers are being laid off.

Schools have friggin' single-wide trailers (as opposed to true construction additions to their structures) as add-ons for the expanding student populations.

Parents have to buy just about everything under the sun in school supplies, for their kids (and their teachers ); so that they have even the most basic of school supplies.

I mean, what the hell is going on here?

Since when are parents required to buy teachers stick-um pads and other school supplies?

Where's all these countless millions upon millions of dollars the state rakes in from this "North Carolina Education Lottery" ??????????

I don't know about anyone else, but something stinks to high heaven, here!!!

Maybe someone can explain this to me. Maybe breakdown the numbers, connect the dots and fill in the missing gaps. Because I smell doo-doo.


From the "North Carolina Education Lottery" website:

About Us

" ...100 percent of the net proceeds of the North Carolina Education Lottery will go to education expenses, including reduced class size in early grades, academic prekindergarten programs, school construction, and scholarships for needy college and university students..... "

[mm34b]

Budgetary raid on lottery funds raises alarm :: WRAL.com

[ellemaew]

I found this to be an interesting article NY lottery biggest in '05, Ohio's cost most-agency | Reuters.com

It doesn't mention NC specifically, but the first factor is that term in your quote "NET profits". The article says that more than $48 billion in tickets were sold in 2005 (in all state lotteries combined) and yet only $16 billion was paid out to state education systems - less than 1/4 of gross sales. 16 billion is a lot - until you spread it across 50 states.

[anifani821]

Well, HALF of the profits go for a program to put underprivileged 4 year olds into a pre-school program. The chart on the page on the link below shows this and lumps class reduction size in with it, but dig through the figures to really see the millions spent on 4 year old pre-school classes. I think I am the only person in the state that finds this large expenditure of money rather curious, b/c your child and my child cannot participate in this free program unless your child is determined to be "at risk." I would really like to see how this program is measurably doing anything that is actually improving education in NC.

About Us: Where the Money Goes

50 percent of the total remainder shall be used for reduction of class size ratios in early grades to 18 children per teacher and for prekindergarten programs for at-risk four year olds who would not otherwise be served in high-quality settings.

40 percent of the total remainder shall be used for school construction. Roughly 65 percent of this total shall be distributed to each county based on total school enrollment. The remaining 35 percent of this total shall be distributed to each county with average effective county property tax rates above the state average based on total school enrollment.

10 percent of the total remainder shall be used for college scholarships for students who qualify for the federal Pell Grant. These scholarships can be used at North Carolina public and private universities and community colleges.