Public education in Idaho receives its largest boost ever from the Idaho Lottery
The Idaho Lottery on Wednesday presented its single largest annual dividend on record to help fund public education in the state.
The $72.5 million will go toward funds that help with school building maintenance and repairs, along with other projects that support state-owned facilities. This year’s dividend reflected a more than 30% increase over last year, Idaho Lottery said in a news release.
“With this year’s dividend, the Idaho Lottery has now returned more than $1 billion to the People of Idaho,” Gov. Brad Little said in a statement. “Every dollar created by the Lottery is a dollar that supports public education for school maintenance projects.”
On Wednesday during a ceremony at Iowa Elementary School in Nampa, a check of $45,312,500 was presented to the Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra.
More than $27 million of those funds will go to the School Building Fund Account, which supports building maintenance and other projects. More than $18 million will go to the Department of Education’s Bond Levy Equalization Fund for paying interest on bonds.
“For more than three decades, the Idaho Lottery has contributed much-needed funds for Idaho school districts across the state to repair and maintain school buildings,” Ybarra said in a news release. “This year the annual dividend surpassed a record $45 million.”
The remaining $27 million was presented to Keith Reynolds, director of the Department of Administration, which oversees the Public Works Division and the State’s Permanent Building Fund. Those funds will help with construction and maintenance of state buildings and public colleges and universities.
“This Idaho Lottery dividend check will be used to fund necessary projects throughout the State of Idaho,” Reynolds said.
“Our state agencies, state universities and colleges, and the buildings that serve the citizens of Idaho are supported by this key source of revenue, which provides needed maintenance and safety improvements, keeping facilities up to date and in good repair. We appreciate and thank the citizens of Idaho that play the lottery.”
Earlier this year, a group of Idaho legislators sought to kill the Powerball lottery game in the state due to fears of participation from other countries and officials using the money for causes they disagreed with. But, it will continue for another year after issues in the negotiations to add certain countries, according to The Associated Press.
Powerball sales accounted for about 15% of this year’s dividend, said Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson.
“The Lottery has benefits that reach deep into Idaho communities, well beyond players who win prizes and retailers who sell our products,” Anderson said in a news release. “Today, we recognize the benefits of an exceptional year that was beset with extraordinary circumstances and challenges by returning more dividends to the citizens of Idaho than in any previous year.”
