Put Lottery Dollars to Work for Education

Governor Chiles and Lt. Governor MacKay have been strong voices calling for "Lottery Justice" to ensure that lottery proceeds enhance education rather than just replace existing revenue. Under the Chiles/MacKay administration, the Florida Lottery delivered critical resources to Florida classrooms and became the most successful lottery in the nation.

In just over 10 years of operation, the Lottery's contributions to education totaled more than $8 billion — a figure unmatched by any other lottery in the nation. Innovative management strategies and cost-cutting allowed the Lottery to pass administrative savings to education — more than $271 million during the 1990s.

Florida's 67 school districts received more than $412 million in lottery funds in 1997.

Lottery dollars reduced drop-out rates and prepared children for school by investing in the Prekindergarten Early Intervention Program. In 1997, more than $107 million was used to fund pre-K programs, which grew from serving 1,120 children in 1987 to serving more than 30,000 per year in 1998.

Florida colleges and universities have grown with the Lottery as Florida's community colleges and universities collected more than $222 million in lottery dollars in 1997 to improve facilities, increase enrollment and maintain academic quality.

The Lottery-funded Bright Futures Scholarship made a college education more affordable to many Floridians. Bright Futures allowed 42,000 Florida high school students who meet minimum requirements to receive academic scholarships to Florida's colleges and universities.

Lottery dollars also kept the doors of education open to all Floridians by allocating more than $5 million per year for pre-K and intervention services in minority and migrant worker communities.

Governor Chiles' hard-fought victory to reduce class sizes and school overcrowding will be funded by a $180 million annual commitment in lottery proceeds over the next 30 years, allowing for construction of new schools and renovation and remodeling of older school buildings.

With all its success in meeting Florida's growing educational needs, Florida's Lottery also set new marks for sales and efficiency.