Oklahoma school districts are being forced to slash their budgets in the middle of the school year, reports KFOR. It’s a seemingly impossible task to adjust budgets at this point in the year. And many Oklahomans are wondering, where is the lottery money that was supposed to help the schools?
The lottery money is coming in, but it’s not enough to counteract the state’s mandatory cuts to government-funded agencies. The lottery’s contributions help, but they’re a small portion of Oklahoma’s school funding needs.
The lottery brings in $200 million a year. But only 35 percent of that goes to education. The other 65 percent of the earnings go back into the lottery. That still leaves $70 million going to education. Where does it go? Almost half goes to higher education. $32 million is left, which is spread through all grades in every school in the state. It helps, but it isn’t enough.