Cornell will increase its voluntary contribution to the Ithaca City School District from $150,000 in the current school year to $250,000 next year, university officials announced today.

For more than two decades, Cornell has provided the school district with voluntary cash contributions to help improve the quality and variety of programs offered to all children receiving district services. The annual contribution has been made in appreciation of the educational services provided by the district to children living in tax-exempt, university-owned housing. Currently, 34 elementary students and 26 middle- and high-school students enrolled in the district live in university-owned housing.

"The continued high quality of the educational services offered by the Ithaca City School District is of significant importance to Cornell," said university President Hunter Rawlings. "The quality of the local school district is a matter of great interest to faculty and staff members at the university."

Since the university made its first voluntary payment in 1975-76, the contributions have totaled nearly $2.9 million. The annual contribution is in addition to school taxes on Cornell's taxable properties, which this year alone generated $437,000 for the Ithaca district.

As a result of discussions with district Superintendent Judith Pastel over the past several months, the university offered to increase its annual contribution to $250,000 each of the next four years beginning with the 1997-98 school year, Rawlings said. In the fifth year Cornell will contribute $500,000.

"The children of the Ithaca City School District are real winners with Cornell's increase of its voluntary contribution to the district," Pastel said. "During my discussions with Cornell leaders, their commitment to the school system and community which it serves was very clear. I was impressed when I heard Hunter Rawlings share his vision of higher education being on a continuum from kindergarten through high school and into post-secondary education. I am confident that the district and Cornell will continue to find mutually beneficial ways to enhance each others' mission."

Henrik N. Dullea, Cornell vice president for university relations, noted that while state and federal funding to Cornell has been reduced over the past eight years, the university recognizes that the school district has faced similar funding constraints.

"Cornell is committed to being a responsible member of the Ithaca community," he said.

"The board is pleased that Cornell recognizes the important role the Ithaca City School District plays in the university's pursuit of excellence," said Karen Zwart, president of the Ithaca City School District Board of Education. "The agreement we have reached provides significant support for school district programs and demonstrates a long-term commitment by Cornell to excellence in the Ithaca public schools."

In addition to financial contributions, Dullea pointed out, Cornell faculty, staff and students provide the district with many non-financial services. For example, he said, Cornell's Public Service Center (PSC) is involved with area schools in a variety of ways that provide support to students and teachers. The activities range from individuals volunteering in schools to developing on-going programs.

Another example, he said, is "Expanding Your Horizons," a daylong conference that is a collaborative effort of the PSC and women graduate students to encourage middle-school girls in their exploration of math, science and engineering research and careers.

Earlier this year, the university announced it was offering scholarships for Ithaca High School students to attend Cornell's Summer College and summer Honors Program.

Rawlings said the partnership between the university and the school district is vital and beneficial to both.

"We believe the continued excellence of the university and the school district are intertwined and that both are key elements in the economic well-being of the community. We look forward to a strong, successful educational partnership in the years to come," he said.