Guess what? A bunch of 30 current and ex-employees from Rector A. Jones Middle School in Florence hit the jackpot, scoring a cool $1 million in the Powerball. They’ve proudly named themselves the “Jones 30” and celebrated their win with a group trip to the Kentucky Lottery office after clocking out on a Tuesday.
The brains behind the operation, a retired math teacher, cleverly tucked away the winning ticket in a math textbook, thinking, “No one looks in a math book. I knew it would be safe there… page 200. I have checked this a thousand times,” she chuckled.
These pals have been pooling their cash for over eight years, including counselors, admins, special ed teachers, and even the school nurse. Despite some moving on or retiring, they’ve stuck together.
Back in 2019, the “Jones 30” randomly picked some Powerball numbers that they’ve faithfully stuck with every week. Their math teacher and assistant principal pulled the numbers out of a hat, and after a bit of a hiccup, they drew again. Lucky for them, they did!
After the taxman takes his cut, each member will pocket $24,000. Plans for the winnings differ within the group – some are thinking investments, while others dream of travel or fixing up their homes.
In a heartwarming move, they’ve pledged to keep up their tradition of playing the Kentucky Lottery as a fun way to stay connected. And don’t forget the Kroger in Hebron – they’re scoring $10,000 for selling the winning ticket. Talk about a win-win!
