The California Lottery was created to generate supplemental funding for our public schools in 1984. For every dollar spent on Lottery products, at least 34 cents is returned to the classroom.  But where does that money go?

A 2002 Report of Lottery Expenditures for K-12 Education prepared by the California Department of Education reports that on average 77% of Lottery funds are spent on Salaries and Benefits for instructors, 18% on classroom materials such as textbooks while the remainder is spent in other areas.

In FY 05/06, revenues from the Lottery generated $154 per pupil, or $1.28 billion total and supported over 8.3 million students in California’s public schools. These funds were in addition to the $10,325 per pupil, or $62 billion provided by California's general fund.

Lottery funds don't just go to K-12 schools; they support students in all areas of public education. Community Colleges, the University of California, the California State University system, Adult Education, Charter Schools and even the schools at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Juvenile Justice receive Lottery funds.

Lottery funds account for approximately 1.5% of all education funding - providing school districts the flexibility to keep valuable programs and services for students.