Oklahoma CareerTech schools receives over $4 million in lottery funds

A flag with the Metro Tech logo flies at the Metro Tech Aviation Campus on June 21. Metro Tech is one of the many CareerTech campuses in Oklahoma. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

Oklahoma CareerTech awarded $4.61 million in scholarships and grants using the funds it received from the Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund’s revenue.

A total of 180 grants were awarded for the upcoming school year, totaling almost $4.2 million. The funds were split between technology centers, with 28 grants, and K-12 school districts, with 152 grants.

CareerTech awarded 437 scholarships for the 2023-24 school year, with a combined total of over $420,000.

CareerTech receives 5.5% of the revenue generated from the Oklahoma lottery. For fiscal year 2023, $87.6 million was reinvested in education from the lottery fund, a record high .

Russell Ray, a spokesperson for CareerTech, said the awarded grants and scholarships come from fiscal year 2023 revenue.

CareerTech State Director Brent Haken said the money is used to invest in classrooms and to provide equipment and resources for instruction and training.

“Our mission to give students the skills they need to enter the workforce and make informed career choices is bolstered greatly by funds from the Oklahoma Lottery, which benefit instructors and students throughout the CareerTech system,” Haken said in a statement.

Technology centers use the grants to invest in equipment for programming ranging from truck driver training to cybersecurity to culinary arts.  The K-12 school districts utilize the grants for classroom resources like computers and other education technology.

In order to receive grants, technology centers and CareerTech’s sixth through 12th grade programs must submit grant proposals for the funding.

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