Missouri schools are getting a share of the $656 million Megamillions lottery jackpot. Ticket sales for the game soared as the pot got bigger, and that means more money from state lottery proceeds has gone to education … and that means the Nixon administration has been able to release almost $7 million dollars that it had withheld earlier to keep he budget balanced.

Most of the money will help schools pay their transportation costs. Some of the money will go for fine arts and scholars academies — summer programs in Columbia and Springfield for gifted high school students.