The funds will be allotted on a per student basis to the school principals, who will use them to pay for such essentials as classroom aides, reading and math specialists, Spectra art instructors and supplemental science teachers in the elementary schools, and electives, technology, staffing, counseling and staff development in the secondary schools.

The last few weeks of the campaign were supported by multiple challenge grants. Thanks to two generous families, gifts made to the PiE Secondary Schools Fund from January 21to Valentine's Day were matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000. An anonymous foundation also offered up $50,000 (on top of a $50,000 gift it had already made) if district-wide elementary participation exceeded 50% by Feb. 14, 2008. PiE successfully met both those challenge grants.

Kevin Skelly, PAUSD Superintendent, said, "Those who support PiE realize that our success as a community is inextricably connected to the quality of the schools and education here in Palo Alto. We are enormously grateful to PiE supporters, and those who contribute their time and talent to this organization reflect the best in all of us in terms of generosity and community spirit."

Last year PiE contributed $2.1 million to PAUSD -- $1.38 million to elementary schools and $720,000 to secondary schools. In each of the four years that PiE has been fundraising for PAUSD schools, it has raised increasingly more money from Palo Alto parents, local businesses, and the community.

The number of PAUSD parents becoming PiE donors has grown significantly from last year. At the elementary school level nearly 60% of parents are now donors, a rise of ten percentage points from last year, and secondary school parent participation has jumped from last year's 24.3% to over 30% this year.

Susan Bailey, President of PiE, said, "We are thrilled to be able to make this donation to our schools. Sustaining this level of funding, and hopefully increasing it over the coming years, is incredibly important as we try to keep our schools strong in these challenging financial times. We are so appreciative of the broad level of support our parents, staff and community have given us. It shows how important education is to our community."

Besides the amount announced today, PiE has allocated nearly $100,000 for the Annual Teacher Grant Program this school year.