The California Lottery: Jackpot for Schools or a Clever Shell Game? (251)

### 🍵 Spill the Tea Topic of Discussion

The California Lottery was sold to voters as a way to provide additional funding for public education, but how much of every ticket actually reaches California’s schools?

In this episode, Dominique and Erica follow nearly $9 billion in annual lottery sales through prizes, retailer compensation, operations, contractors, and education. They examine state audit findings, the $36 million funding dispute, questionable contracting procedures, district-level spending concerns, and the surprising fact that lottery money supplies less than 1.5% of California’s overall education funding.

The lottery does send substantial money to public education, but the real story is buried beneath the jackpot-sized advertising: only about 20.6 cents of each sales dollar was allocated to education in fiscal year 2024–2025.

### 📝 Homework

Please Like, Subscribe, and Share today’s episode with a friend. Every listen and share makes a meaningful difference and helps more people discover Spill the Tea with D & E.

This podcast supports the nonprofit Santa Barbara Wellness Center, Inc.

Ask your local school district for its latest lottery-fund expenditure report. Find out exactly how much it received, where the money was spent, and whether any funds remain unspent.

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#SpillTheTeaWithDE #CaliforniaLottery #CaliforniaSchools #PublicEducation #FollowTheMoney #SchoolFunding #EducationFunding #CaliforniaAudit #GovernmentAccountability #PublicMoney #LotteryMoney #Teachers #CaliforniaTeachers #ClassroomFunding #EducationMatters #FiscalTransparency #GovernmentSpending #CaliforniaBudget #StateAuditor #PublicSchools #SchoolDistricts #LotteryAudit #EducationAccountability #TaxpayerWatchdog #FinancialLiteracy #KnowTheNumbers #CommunityColleges #CSU #UniversityOfCalifornia #DominiqueAndErica #SantaBarbaraWellnessCenter

### 🎵 Music

Original music copyright Santa Barbara Wellness Center, Inc., June 2026.

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Your tax-deductible donations help support wellness education, community programs, mindfulness initiatives, and projects that encourage people to thrive rather than merely survive.

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