30 Kentucky Educators Win the $1 Million Powerball Prize

A group of 30 educators from northern Kentucky recently won a $1 million Powerball prize. All hailing from the same school, the group, fondly nicknamed “The Jones 30,” cashed in on a winning ticket recently.

The winning ticket came from a local Kroger store in Hebron on North Bend Road. The lucky number combination that brought home the prize was 7-38-65-66-68, with a Powerball number of 21. The ticket matched all five white ball numbers but missed out on the Powerball number, securing them the second-tier prize of $1 million.

“The Jones 30,” who have been playing the same numbers for years, include a mix of active and retired educators. Some have moved to neighboring schools, while 13 remain at Jones Middle School. The group had a tradition of chipping in together and keeping track of their lottery contributions via a spreadsheet.

The group’s organizer, a retired math teacher, was the first to discover their win. She’d been keeping the winning ticket safe in a math textbook. “No one looks in a math book,” she said. “I knew it would be safe there…page 200. I have checked this a thousand times.”

The announcement sparked laughter and joy, as each member shared their unique reactions to the life-changing news. One member even woke up from a nap to more than a hundred messages, with the good news being the perfect wake-up call.

The group wasted no time and headed to Frankfort on Tuesday to claim their winnings. Their million-dollar prize is to be divided equally amongst them. The newfound windfall will go toward some sorely needed necessities, settling debts, and perhaps a holiday or two.

Despite the big win, the members of “The Jones 30” returned to their roles as educators at Jones Middle School post-celebrations, injecting some of their newfound positivity into their classrooms. Even though the odds might not be in their favor anymore, they plan to keep playing the lottery with the same dedication and numbers.

The Kroger store in Hebron, their lucky ticket spot, isn’t left out in the celebrations either. It’s set to receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.