Southeastern Idaho schools scratch for prizes

Nearly 60 schools furiously scratched at hundreds of lottery tickets to compete for the title of fastest scratching school and funds to help the classroom.

The Idaho Lottery hosted their annual Scratch for Schools fundraiser event at Idaho State University for surrounding schools. At the event, schools get a pack of scratch-off lottery tickets and have to scratch as many as they can in five minutes. The top eight schools then competed in a final round where they get a new pack and have to do it all again.

This means some schools had the chance to scratch as many as 900 tickets.

Even if schools didn’t advance to another round, they get to keep all prizes won from scratched tickets. This is money that can go straight to the school needs, like playground equipment, books and computer software.

“It helps us tremendously,” said Jamie Clark, who works at William Thomas Middle School in American Falls. “(It can help with) field trips we’re planning. Without wouldn’t be able to do the trips otherwise.”

Statewide there is around $100,000 in prizes. For this event, schools won $10,846 in prizes. The top school of the night, Hawthorne Middle School from Pocatello, won $468. The fastest scratching school was Pocatello’s Franklin Middle School, who scratched 170 tickets in the final round.

On Wednesday, 62 schools will be gathering in Idaho Falls for their chance to scratch-and-win.