From funding life-changing jackpots to helping Michigan students, the Michigan Lottery is giving back again.

For more than 50 years, the Michigan Lottery has given a portion of its earnings to the state's School Aid Fund. For every dollar it receives from the sale of tickets, 25 cents goes toward supporting public education.

"The School Aid Fund is approximately $23 billion of the greater budget across the state of Michigan. It is a very large fund," said Richard Machesky, Superintendent of Troy School District.

In a statement announcing the funds, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, "This year's lottery contributions will help build on that progress and make a difference for students, educators, and schools across Michigan. Let's keep working together to make a difference for our kids." 

This year, schools will be getting $1.16 billion, bringing the lottery's total contribution to more than $30 billion since the fund was created in 1972.

Machesky says the funding is helpful but doesn't solve every issue.

"It's not to diminish the importance of the additional funding that is available through the lottery, for instance. But, when it's all aggregated together, it still is not enough to support the needs of school districts across Michigan," said Machesky.

Machesky says districts are still navigating funding impacts from the state budget and wants parents to understand they are using every cent that goes their way — including the School Aid Fund — to support their children.

"The budget as it currently exists is going to require us to make choices, and we're going to have to choose between counselors and social workers and literacy specialists and secure environments across our school districts if funding does not keep pace," said Machesky.