Track Every Dollar
Ohio: every school dollar
Where Ohio's public school money comes from, where it goes, what Washington sends, and how the state spends its lottery money. Select any line for more.
- Public school money, 2023-24$31.5 billion
- Spent per student, day to day$17,257U.S.: $17,619
- Students1,550,261711 school systems
- Lottery money to education$1.4 billionFY2025
Where the money comes from
$31.5 billion in the 2023-24 school year. Select federal, state or local to see every line.
Federal $3.7 billion11.8%
Inside the federal total: $1.6 billion of pandemic relief (ESSER and related funds), which ended in 2024.
State $10.9 billion34.6%
Local $16.9 billion53.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file
Where it goes
$31.3 billion spent. Select support services for every line.
Inside these totals: $15.0 billion in salaries and wages, $6.0 billion in employee benefits. Long-term debt at year end: $15.5 billion.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file
Spending per student over time
Not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 20. summary tables
What Washington committed
Department of Education money committed for use in Ohio in fiscal year 2025: $2.8 billion. The programs below include money from Agriculture (school meals) and Health and Human Services (Head Start), and college aid (Pell).
Why this differs from the federal line above: that line is what Ohio's schools received in the 2023-24 school year (Census). This one is what Washington committed in a later federal year, including college aid, which schools never receive.
| Program | What it is | Ohio | Share of the national total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pell Grants | College grants to students with financial need | $974 million | 2.4% |
| School lunch | National School Lunch Program (Department of Agriculture) | $710 million | 2.6% |
| Title I | Grants to schools with many students from low-income families | $655 million | 3.6% |
| Special education (IDEA) | Grants to states for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21 | $516 million | 3.7% |
| Head Start | Early childhood programs (Department of Health and Human Services) | $414 million | 3.5% |
| Title II, teachers | Supporting effective instruction: teacher and principal training | $76.9 million | 3.6% |
| Career and technical education | Perkins basic grants to states | $52.7 million | 3.7% |
| Title IV-A | Student support and academic enrichment grants | $49.1 million | 3.6% |
| After school (21st Century) | 21st Century Community Learning Centers | $46.1 million | 3.5% |
| Federal Work-Study | Part-time jobs for college students with need | $33.6 million | 2.9% |
| College opportunity grants (SEOG) | Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | $25.4 million | 2.8% |
| English learners (Title III) | English language acquisition grants | $15.5 million | 1.8% |
| Special education, preschool | Preschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5 | $12.9 million | 3.2% |
| Impact Aid | Payments to districts with federal land or military families | $4.0 million | 0.3% |
Source: USAspending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), money committed (obligated) by state where it is used. usaspending.gov
How is Ohio spending the education lottery money?
The Ohio Constitution requires the entire net proceeds of the state lottery to be paid into a state fund used solely for elementary, secondary, vocational, and special education programs as appropriated by the General Assembly (the Lottery Profits Education Fund). The lottery began in 1974.
What the law says
The promise: All net proceeds to the Lottery Profits Education Fund, used solely for elementary, secondary, vocational, and special education programs as appropriated by the General Assembly.
"provided that the entire net proceeds of any such lottery are paid into a fund of the state treasury that shall consist solely of such proceeds and shall be used solely for the support of elementary, secondary, vocational, and special education programs as determined in appropriations made by the General Assembly."
Ohio Constitution, Article XV, Section 6(A); Ohio Revised Code 3770.06(B) codes.ohio.gov
- Tickets sold$4.4 billion p. 32
- Prizes 67%$2.9 billion p. 32
- Retailers 7%$290 million p. 32
- Running the lottery 3%$119 million p. 32
- To education 33%$1.4 billion p. 32
Of every dollar of Ohio lottery tickets sold in FY2025, 33 cents reached education.
What it paid for, FY2025
Payments made during the year. They include money earned in earlier years, so they do not add up to the year's total sent to education.
- Lottery Profits Education Fund: profits generated from traditional lottery games$990 million p. 61
- Lottery Profits Education Fund: profits generated from the VLT program$458 million p. 61
Lottery money to education by year
Since 1974: $34.0 billion p. 70 to education in total.
What auditors found
"In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of each major fund of the Ohio Lottery Commission"
Every school system in Ohio
711 school systems reported to the Census Bureau for 2023-24. See each one's money in and money out.
The record
- School money: Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances. The district totals for Ohio were added up and checked against the Census state table on seven totals. census.gov
- Federal money: Federal education spending, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Money committed, by the state where it is used. usaspending.gov
- Lottery: Ohio Lottery Commission, An Enterprise Fund of the State of Ohio, Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year 2025, Ohio Lottery Commission. ohiolottery.com
- Lottery: Ohio Constitution, Article XV, Section 6, Ohio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov). codes.ohio.gov
- Lottery: Ohio Revised Code 3770.06, State lottery gross revenue fund, state lottery fund, lottery profits education fund, Ohio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov). codes.ohio.gov
- Checked November 2, 2026. How we track it · Report an error
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How is Ohio spending the education lottery money?
- Public school money, 2023-24$31.5 billion
- Spent per student$17,257
- Lottery money to education, FY2025$1.4 billion
- Of each lottery dollar sold33 cents to education
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