The Real Losers of the Lottery

            Last week’s Powerball lottery was half a billion dollars, the largest lottery amount ever for a lottery.  News agencies across the country showed people eagerly waiting in line to purchase Powerball tickets and telling reporters what they would do if they win.  Despite the extraordinarily high odds of winning, people continue to believe they will win winning the lottery and transform their lives.  Unfortunately, only a few people win each drawing.

            For those who don’t win, life goes on.  However, the real losers of the lottery are public schools.  A majority of the states that have lotteries also have financially struggling public schools.  Surprisingly, these states also have had record lottery sales.  If this is the case, why do these states have financially struggling public schools?

            As a way to generate an additional funding stream, states adopted the lottery to fund public education and entitlements for the elderly.  If a portion of lottery proceeds are given for public education, public schools in states with lotteries should not be struggling financially.  Unfortunately they are struggling financially and no one is asking why?

            The financial struggles of public schools are detrimental to the educational growth of children.  When schools lack the ability to purchase the latest curriculum materials or have enough materials give each student; children lose. 

When schools cannot retain teachers due to an inability to offer competitive salaries, smaller class size, non-academic supports or provide substantive professional development; children lose.  When schools cannot upgrade their buildings to incorporate technology to enhance the curriculum and to prepare children for a technological society because the building is antiquated and unable to support the wiring; children lose.  When schools cannot offer enrichment programs such as art, music and other extracurricular activities; children lose. 

Lastly, when schools cannot transform children’s lives, we ALL lose.

When schools cannot do the job they were created to do children lose.  The lottery was supposed to be the solution to the financial struggles and provide the funding so public schools can provide children with the world-class education they deserve.  As record profits are being made by lotteries, the financial struggles of public schools become more dire.  This should not be happening when we understand who the real losers of the lottery are.