On Thursday, Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 4388 into law, which allows lottery money to be used to increase teacher pay. The statute authorizes lottery funding to act as a state match for the money that local school districts give to certify advanced, lead, and master teachers. Increased compensation and possibilities for advancement for teachers will be provided as a result of this initiative, which will help to alleviate the state’s acute lack of educators.
Jay Finks, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, remarked that “the Lottery is a long-time supporter of public education, and we are excited that a portion of our proceeds will now be able to go directly to teachers across the state”. People who win or lose in the Lottery may be certain that their money is going to support Oklahoma teachers thanks to the Teacher Empowerment Fund, which identifies concrete recipients.
More than $1.1 billion has been donated to education by the Oklahoma Lottery since its creation, but it’s difficult to track down precisely where those monies are going.
Legislative author Kyle Hilbert says the lottery’s recent growth and prospects for future years make it a reliable source of income for this program.
