"The Jones 30" Story
We all dream of what it would be like to win the lottery, right? Oh, come on, even those of you who vow you will never play have thought about it. That dream came true for 30 educators and former educators of Jones Middle School. They found out this past weekend that they hit the Match 5 in the Powerball for a million bucks! Yes, it was the winning ticket you heard about purchased at the Kroger in Hebron.
They call themselves "The Jones 30" because 14 years ago they all worked at Jones and had formed a very organized group collecting money, keeping a spreadsheet and playing the same set of numbers the group chose, religiously. Over the years some fell off through retirement or moving away and new ones joined in but they kept the group to 30.
Telling The Boss
The call to their principal, Stacy Park started a whole new level of anxiety. Wait, what? Was she about to have a mass exodus of educators and administrators? That was her first thought. She was able to calm down after the details. While 30 did win, only 13 of the winners remain on her staff. The others are either retired or work in other Boone County schools and neighboring districts. And that 30 will split one million dollars after Uncle Sam takes his appetizing bite.
So, Principal Park realizes she is the one who won big. Just to be clear, Park is not a lottery winner. However, her major project this school year is teacher retention. 13 of her staff hit 5 of the six balls. Had they hit the 6th for the Powerball "The Jones 30" would have won $164 million dollars. Park knows she would have definitely had a staffing problem...for at least the rest of the school year.
They Still Have To Work
Like the professionals they are, "The Jones 30" (from Jones and other schools) showed up to work on Monday and after work they all met up at a restaurant to sign the ticket and make plans to collect their winnings. They said it was like a family reunion. While almost two-thirds of them are employed elsewhere, it felt like nothing had changed. They all shared a funny story about how they found out. The best story was one winner who was napping and woke up to 6 missed calls and 187 text messages, all from "The Jones 30."
The Anticipation
Tuesday after school they all excitedly drove to Frankfort to turn in their winning ticket. You can do the math, no one got rich this time but what they did get is a welcome opportunity to take care of some small but important things in their lives they’ve had to put off. We all can relate to that because some of their plans are no different that yours or mine. “Buy new tires for my kids car, start a savings account, buy new appliances, pay off student loans and medical bills, buy a badly needed new car, and taking a vacation,’ just to name a few ways they plan to use their winnings.
Principal Stacy Park says, “This is amazing for this group at Jones. These teachers are hardworking and go the extra mile for their students. I am so very happy for them and proud of the way they are handling this! I wish it were a gift I could bestow upon all of my staff. No one at Jones rests on their laurels.”
What’s Next For The Jones 30?
Will "The Jones 30" continue to play the lottery after this win AND will they still play the same numbers? Of course and of course. Do they think they could win again? Well, according to their math teachers the probabilities are about the same. The short answer is, yes!
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