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. ### #️⃣ Hashtags #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. 🌿🍵 The Last Sip 🍵🌿 Before we put the kettle away and head back into the adventure of everyday life, we’d like to leave you with one final thought: Wellness isn’t something you buy. It’s something you build. One conversation, one healthy choice, one act of kindness, one deep breath, and sometimes one cup of tea at a time. If today’s conversation inspired you, encouraged you, or simply made you smile, we invite you to support the work of Santa Barbara Wellness Center, Inc., a nonprofit organization started in 2015, dedicated to helping people cultivate healthier bodies, calmer minds, stronger communities, and more meaningful lives. Your tax-deductible donations help support wellness education, community programs, mindfulness initiatives, and projects that encourage people to thrive rather than merely survive. To learn more or make a contribution, visit: SBWellness.org Because a healthier community begins with people who care enough to plant seeds today for a better tomorrow. Until next time, keep your cup full, your heart open, and remember… The world may be complicated, but sharing tea and sharing wisdom are still wonderfully simple. 🌱 This is Dominique and Erica saying