Powerball Winners: 76 Staff Members At NJ Elementary School

Clifton, NJ - Employees at one New Jersey elementary school have lots to celebrate Thursday.

A group of staff members at Clifton Elementary School Number 14 — many of them who say they don’t play the lottery that much — didn’t snag the jackpot but they qualify as Powerball winners just the same.

The group includes 76 employees: the principal, the school nurse, a physical therapist, teachers and on and on.

These staff members pitched in $4 apiece over the past few weeks, hoping to get that $1.5 billion prize.

But what they got was good enough: $50,000, split 76 ways, which should come out to $657.89 per person before taxes.

“We were shocked,” said Dianne Nicolette, the school nurse. “Somebody told us this morning that we won $50,000 and we were like, ‘Yeah, yeah. C’mon.”

The school was filled with excitement on Thursday, even though many in the group had already found out through texts, social media or just watching Channel 7 on Wednesday night.

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To win $50,000, the ticket-holder must match four out of five white numbers plus the Powerball.

Paul Galello, the principal, referred comment to Nicolette, who provided information on the school’s lottery win.

Nicolette said she’s heard enough bad news about things going on the world. So it was good to finally hear some good news.

“It’s like found money. Everybody is very happy,” she said.

She said she wouldn’t do much about the lottery in the past other than buying a scratch-off ticket and giving it away as a present.

What’s she going to do with her newfound money?

“Just put it in the bank,” she said.