"Everybody in the community has a positive feeling when there are more resources available for the school," said Booksin Elementary School Principal Sharon Roddick.

Gov. Gray Davis and the state Legislature created the program in 1998, using an academic performance index (API) to award schools that show progress. This year, the amount of the awards totaled $67 million.

While the state's average API score was 694 out of 1,000 points, Booksin Elementary School's API was 864, based on its spring 2001 SAT-9 test results. This was an improvement of 10 points over the school's API of the prior year.

To qualify for the award, a school must meet or exceed the 5 percent growth target on the API or increase its API score by five points, whichever is more challenging.

Roddick attributes Booksin's test score improvement to an individualized teaching approach.

"The teachers used different techniques to meet the students' different needs, and we focus on standard courses such as language arts, math and social studies," Roddick said.

School staff have been working with parents and teachers to identify how the school can best use the funds, and in December is expected to hand in a proposal to the San Jose Unified School District for approval.

Originally the state intended to give qualified schools $144 million in January but the funding was put on hold by the Legislature because of the state's $24 billion budget deficit.

In that respect, Roddick said, Booksin is lucky compared with some schools that are in great need of grants.

"Our parent groups just work tirelessly to provide the financial resources that enrich and expand the school's basic programs," Roddick said.