Fairfax Schools to See $23 Million from Lottery This Year

Fairfax County Public Schools received $23 million this year from the Virginia Lottery, according to the Virginia Lottery and the state Department of Education.

Since 1999, when lottery funds were first directed solely to Virginia’s K-12 public schools, $143.5 million has gone to Fairfax County Public Schools.

Lottery sales for fiscal year 2011 in the county were at an all-time high—$75 million—a 50 percent increase from $50 million in 2006.

The entire state of Virginia saw lottery sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2011. The state is one of 42 that has lottery ticket sales and saw $53 billion in 2006 (last year statistics available), according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Of its $1.4 billion collected this year in Virginia, here's how it was divvied up:

• 30.2 percent or $444.2 million went to schools
• 59.4 percent went to pay-outs to lottery players
• 5.3 percent went to retailers 
• 5.1 percent went to operational expenses

Here's the breakdown from the past few years:

2008: $9 million/building fund

2009: $12.6 million

1.  At Risk: $875,203

2.  Foster Care: $674,914

3.  Reduced K-3 Projects: $2,218,398

4.  Early Reading Intervention: $974,775

5.  SOL Algebra Readiness: $290,334

6.  Lottery: $7,604,958

2010: $11.8 million

1.  At risk: $795,284

2.  Lottery: $4,486,508

3.  Foster care: $594,726

4.  Governors School: $1,796,173

5.  Reduced K-3 Projects: $2,314,596

6.  VOC occupational preparation: $650,099

7.  Special Education Regional: $30,030

8.  Early Reading Intervention: $919,345

9.  SOL Algebra Readiness: $294,428

2011: $18 million

1.  Textbooks Payment: $1,766,562

2.  AT RISK: $1,352,558

3.  Foster Care: $653,757

4.  Reduced K-3 Projects: $2,098,426

5.  VOC Occupational Preparation: $738,432

6.  ESOL/English as a Second Language: $9,898,493

7.  Early Reading Invertion: $1,132,710

8.  SOL Algebra Readiness: $416,848

2012: $23 million ($19.4 million allocated to School Operating Fund; $3.6 million Other Funds)

1.  Textbooks Payment: $1,936,971

2.  At Risk: $1,376,447

3.  Reduced K-3 Projects: $2,321,698

4.  Foster Care: $494,742

5.  Reduced K-3 Projects: $2,321,698

6.  VOC Occupational Preparation: $709,431

7.  ESOL/ENGLISH as a Second Language: $11,019,381

8.  Special Education Regional: $60,655

9.  Early Reading Intervention: $1,105,855

10.               SOL Algebra Readiness: $412,869

 Some lottery amounts won in Northern Virginia in 2011 include:

• $500,000: Vienna Shell, 252 Maple Avenue West, Vienna
• $100,000: Bloom, 13065 Fair Lakes Shopping Center, Fairfax
• $52,000: 7/Eleven, 8228 Gunston Corner Lane, Lorton
• $500,000: Bowl America Shirley, 6450 Edsall Road, Alexandria
• $1 million, Super Dollar Saver, 366 South Pickett Street, Alexandria
• $100,000: Landmark Towers Sunoco, 190 South Whiting Street in Alexandria
• $238,900: 7-Eleven at 3827 South George Mason in Bailey’s Crossroad.

By law, all unclaimed Virginia Lottery prizes go to the Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes, such as school construction, renovation, and teacher retirement funding. 

The Lottery transferred $10.8 million to the Literary Fund in Fiscal Year 2011.