The Missouri Lottery announced this month it has awarded funds to schools statewide, raised from the sales of Scratchers and draw games lottery tickets in the 2023 fiscal year.
Those proceeds totaled $425 million, and were appropriated to Missouri’s public education facilities by the Missouri General Assembly, including $3.55 million to schools within 60 miles of West Plains.
Total funds given to Howell County’s public and higher education facilities amounted to a little over $1.92 million, just over half of the total allocated in the seven-county region, and about 16% of which went to the West Plains R-7 School District, at $313,755, for both kindergarten through twelfth grade education and post-secondary education.
For K-12 education, Willow Springs School District received $412,467 and Mtn. View-Birch Tree got $304,318.
Missouri State University-West Plains was allotted $572,295 for higher education.
Rural Schools in Howell County also received shares: $68,256 went to Fairview, $82,712 to Richards, $32,278 to Junction Hill, $82,043 to Glenwood and $35,721 to Howell Valley.
The remaining $3,141 as awarded to various individuals and organizations to assist clients with disabilities in obtaining employment by diagnosis, physical restoration, training and placement.
In FY19, Howell County schools were awarded $3.6 million.
Funds are awarded to schools for several categories including transportation, average daily attendance, students in foster care, a state Career Ladder matching program for professional development, early special education and a High Need Fund reimbursement for schools education students with individualized education programs exceeding the current expenditure for average daily attendance in the K-12 schools. For secondary education, of which Missouri State University-West Plains and West Plains R-7 are the only local beneficiaries, funds were awarded in the form of achievement- and need-based scholarships, academic scholarships, Fast Track Scholarships for workforce improvements, and the A+ Program.
For FY23, Douglas County received the second largest share with $567,874, all but $28 of it going to the Ava, Plainview, Norwood and Skyline R-2 School Districts. The remaining funds were earmarked for a vocational rehabilitation grant.
Ava received the bulk of the funds at $470,105. Skyline was allowed $50,356; Plainview, $41,628; and Norwood, $5,577.
Texas County was awarded $398,122, 86.6% of which was within 60 miles of West Plains. Houston Schools received the most at $200,576. Cabool received $121,493; Licking, $14,566; and Summersville, $7,966. $1,750 was given to support disability employment and the remaining amount was allotted to Plato, Success and Raymondville School Districts.
Wright County was awarded $315,826, and Mtn. Grove saw the bulk of the county’s funds, 91.6%, with $315,826. Disability employment support in the form of Vocational Rehab saw $1,404, and the remaining funds were divided among Hartville, Manes and Mansfield School Districts.
Oregon County was awarded $181,210. Alton received the most with $139,752; Thayer, $22,911; Couch, $7,910; and $10,167 went to Oregon-Howell/Koshkonong Schools.
Ozark County’s share was $156,561, with Bakersfield Schools receiving $101,102. Gainesville was given $28,892; Dora, $17,559; Lutie, $4,979; Thornfield, $4,029; and $965 went toward supporting disability employment.
Shannon County received the least out of the area counties with only $56,080 awarded.
Eminence received $47,283 and Eminence, $7,856. $941 was earmarked for disability job placement support.
