FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: David Workman
Friday, June 29, 2007 (208) 334-2600
Idaho Lottery Windfall Provides $34 Million for Idaho Schools
Boise – On behalf of the people of Idaho, Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter accepted the 18th annual dividend check from the Idaho Lottery for a record $34 million during a ceremony this morning at Monroe Elementary in Boise. This is the fourth consecutive year the Idaho Lottery has returned a record-breaking dividend. Lottery dividend dollars are equally divided, providing funding for the benefit of public education and the improvement of Idaho’s state buildings.
“For almost two decades now the Idaho Lottery has been proving its value to the schoolchildren and taxpayers of Idaho,” stated Governor Otter. “I´m pleased that Director Anderson and his team are upholding the standards of integrity and fair play that have been the hallmark of Lottery activities throughout its history. With that kind of professional diligence and the public´s continued participation, everybody wins.”
“The Idaho Lottery is everyone’s game,” added Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson. “When the Lottery is successful, so are our communities. Everyone benefits. Ultimately dollars spent on the lottery are returned to local communities through player prizes, retailer commissions, and dividends that directly benefit our public schools and buildings.”
Lottery dividend dollars provide much needed paint, carpet and general repairs for the buildings in the Boise School district, Andersonsaid. In other school districts across Idaho, lottery dollars are used to refurbish worn roofs, replace boilers for heating systems, provide safety and security fences around playgrounds, and upgrade electrical wiring systems.
By statute, fifty-percent of the Lottery’s dividend goes toward benefiting public schools in Idaho. Governor Otter presented an oversized check for $17 million to Nick Smith, Deputy Superintendent for School Support Services at the State Department of Education.
“Idaho’s schools are grateful for the amount Idahoans contribute every year to education through the lottery,” said Smith. “This is a great investment in our children’s future as we continue to improve student performance in Idaho.”
Governor Otter also presented a dividend check worth $17 million to Tim Mason, Administrator for the Division of Public Works. Mason oversees Idaho’s state facilities where the remaining fifty-percent of the Lottery’s dividends are earmarked.
“The majority of the Fiscal Year 2007 dividend dollars were used for needed improvements on Idaho’s college campuses,” said Mason. “From upgrading the heating and cooling system in Boise State’s science and nursing buildings and repairing elevators at Idaho State to making life safety improvements at the Art and Architecture Building at the University of Idaho, the Lottery is helping to provide a proud foundation for building academic success.”
Since its inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has returned more than $367 million to public education and buildings.
# # #
