From Your Lottery Play to Our Students’ Tomorrows

From our friends at the Oregon Lottery :

It All Started in 1995

Initially, the Oregon Lottery was founded to help support economic development. After ten years, Oregon voters decided to allocate a portion of Lottery proceeds to support our schools. Today, more than fifty percent of all Lottery profits provide valuable funding for Oregon’s public schools, from kindergarten all the way through college. In total, that’s more than nine billion dollars since 1995.

Dollars Flow Across the State

The dollars flow to all 197 school districts in every county of the state. Their impact is felt in tiny, one-room schools like Ashwood School in Jefferson County to Sherwood High School’s massive new campus in Washington County. This funding helps support everything from teacher salaries to classroom technology, textbooks, enrichment programs and more.

Of course, the Lottery isn’t the only source of school funding in Oregon. Districts receive a mixture of lottery dollars and other state funds to finance their core operations. Voters sometimes pass bond measures for special projects and new construction. But beyond those sources, schools themselves get creative about finding other ways to finance the stretch goals that invariably result when they dream bigger.

Bringing Creativity to School Funding

One of Oregon’s most unique public schools — the Oregon School for the Deaf — is one inspiring example of what can be accomplished by bringing creativity to fundraising efforts. Their student body includes all grades (kindergarten through 12), boarding facilities for some of their students, and a full curriculum delivered in American Sign Language. Offering such a broad range of services using only lottery dollars and other state funds would be challenging. Fortunately, OSD has taken advantage of several unconventional funding opportunities. They’ve even created one of Oregon’s largest and longest-running haunted attractions as a way to help support their school’s very unique needs. OSD, like many Oregon schools, is truly making the most of every piece of the school funding mosaic, from Oregon Lottery funds and tax dollars to their very own successful spin on grassroots fundraising.

When You Play, You’re Helping Our Schools

When lots of Oregonians each play their favorite lottery games — like Powerball, Keno, Scratch-its and more — dollars add up for education. Your play strengthens school funding; you help make a better future possible for students, and, through them, for all of us. When you play, you play it forward — for Oregon’s public schools!

Learn more about how Oregon Lottery proceeds help support public schools.