But Porush's 30-plus students handled the question on the May test easily and skillfully, thanks to equipment that was purchased for them by Los Gatos High School's New Millennium Foundation.

Answering the question involved knowing how to use a spectrophotometer—five of which the foundation had funded, enabling every student to have hands-on experience with the device.

"These are pieces of equipment that not all high schools have," Porush said. "The whole thing about the New Millennium Foundation getting us those things, especially in science, makes labs more accessible and gets students to do things that they otherwise might not do."

Porush had applied for a grant that funded the spectrophotometers, valued at $900 each, in 2002; this year, he received a grant for balances and thermometers for the entire chemistry department. "Each of the three classrooms has a full classroom set [of equipment]," he said.

The full sets give instructors "the ability to do some nonstandards, some cool stuff" and, "from a teaching perspective, it improves the students' understanding," Porush said. "It's really nice to be supported by the community with the New Millennium Foundation."

Although the foundation has only been in existence for just over two years, the organization has already impacted Los Gatos High in big ways. Among its grants are those for technological equipment for the journalism program, completion of the athletics field house, a new voicemail system for the school and a trophy case for the wrestling team.

Joanne Rodgers, founding member of the foundation and chairwoman of the board, said the original goal was to "follow bond money to completion" by turning to the community, businesses and alumni.

"The teachers don't have the material, but they have the building to surround themselves with," Rodgers said. "We're not funding one teacher or a particular class. We're looking at the whole. We're trying to meet the teachers' needs—to enhance the educational environment for all Los Gatos students."

"We're trying to get the school up to the 21st century and away from the 1980s and 1970s," said Butch Cattolico, football coach and math teacher. "We're teaching the kids for an age at which the buildings weren't built. I think that schools have to keep with the technology age."

"You need to be able to have this kind of equipment. You need [the students] to be proficient in this kind of equipment," he added.

"They wanted to make sure that with a modern building and modern facilities we'd have the equipment to go along with it," Porush said.

Cattolico first came up with the idea of the foundation when construction of the field house was halted due to insufficient funds from a bond measure. The foundation was thus born as Cattolico and others solicited private donations to finish up the field house and began planning for an alumni weekend.

With an alumni football game and auction as anchor events, the weekend is an outreach to Los Gatos High alumni. The main message to that population is "the school took real good care of you," Cattolico said—and in return, the foundation hopes that the alumni will help take care of the school.

The first auction was a success, despite its being held just days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and has now bloomed into a full-blown three-day party. Held Sept. 19­21, the event this year includes a barbecue at Johnny's Northside Grill, a sock hop, a pancake breakfast and at least six separate class reunions.

"We have very generous alumni. We are relying on graduates to help us raise money," Rodgers said. As a result, the foundation plans to keep up with mailings as a "constant education" of what the school is doing. "If my high school sent me something that said, 'This is what we're working on and this is what we've done,' I'd certainly contribute money," Rodgers said.

Betty Whitaker Moore, class of 1945, was one of those who had a similar reaction. Married to Intel founder Gordon Moore, she made a sizable donation and wrote Rodgers a letter that said, "Los Gatos High is one of only a few schools that has continued to prosper over the last half-century, and there is no reason why it cannot continue to be a contributor for the next millennium."

"I know what we're doing is exciting for the teachers," Rodgers said.

Cattolico said the teachers who are especially excited about the foundation are those in athletics and the arts, who have special needs often not funded by the school.

One of the foundation's largest undertakings to date is the Theater Improvement Project, driven by performing arts department chairwoman Diana Pleasant. The school is planning to completely renovate and add on to the Prentiss Brown Auditorium. The foundation serves as the umbrella nonprofit for TIP and is pushing a campaign to sell off the seats and offer naming rights to the facilities, raising $600,000 by Dec. 31.

A key fundraising event happens this week with the "Los Gatos Town Follies" on June 3. Town officials and residents will perform to entertain and humiliate, and tickets are selling for $25 to $50 apiece.

For more information about the 'Town Follies,' the All-Alumni Reunion Weekend or the New Millennium Foundation, visit http://www.lghsnmf.org or call Rodgers at 408.356.1858.