Trinity Elementary School's teachers had no idea what to expect when principal Aimee Boltze called a special faculty meeting on Friday.

They were even more baffled when she handed out 42 identical sealed white envelopes and told them to wait and open them in unison.

"We all thought it's going to be a coupon to wear jeans," kindergarten teacher Cathy Cellura said.

"I was joking to my team, 'Oh, I hope this is a bonus,'" fourth grade teacher Elizabeth Cieslak said.

They got the green light, and tore open the envelopes. Their reaction: "Complete shock."

Inside, they found a thank you note from business partners Howard and Susan Millian, owners of Millian-Aire Air Conditioning & Heating, along with a crisp $100 bill.

"We know much of the expense of your classroom supplies comes from your own pockets," the Millians wrote. "We wanted to come up with a way to help teachers in our community because you are important to us and the children you are teaching."

The $100 should go toward supplies, they continued, to help "lift the burden" on teachers and let them focus on a successful year.

Some people stared in wide-eyed amazement. Some laughed. Some cried.

"I said, 'Is this real?'" Cieslak recalled. "I thought it was fake money."

In her 13 years as an educator, she had never heard of such a thing happening, much less thought it would occur in in her own school.

"It's pretty cool that somebody recognizes and appreciates how much money we spend and how hard we work," Cieslak said.

Every year, teachers in Pasco County and across the state spend hundreds of dollars from their own wallets to supplement their classroom needs. They do so even as they are paid wages below the national average for teachers, and as the Florida Legislature squeezes resources for public education.

The state helps with about $250 a year toward the expense. But most teachers say that doesn't come close to what they put out.

Cellura said she usually spends $500 before the first quarter ends, on things such as school boxes, crayon pouches, spiral notebooks and other materials.

"We already ask enough of parents," she said.

They have heard the question, Why spend what you can't afford? But the answer is obvious to them.

"We do it for the children," Cellura said.

"We love them. We love their parents," Cieslak added. "I get so happy when my own personal child brings home stuff like that [supported by teacher contributions]. You want all the families to feel that way."

So when they saw the $100 bill, they were simply gratified and grateful. And already making plans, whether for that one special classroom item — Cellura had her eye on a much-needed industrial strength pencil sharpener — or for smaller things like treasure box gifts that wind up costing $30 in a weekend splurge at Five Below.

"Millian-Aire gave them that opportunity," Boltze said. "They didn't say they wanted a receipt. They trusted the teachers. That might be the most amazing part."

Michael Stein, Millian-Aire director of marketing, said his firm's owners came up with the idea from a news report. It already had been a Trinity Elementary business partner, as the Millians' children and grandchildren attended there.

"We try to stay involved there," Stein said. "We know how difficult it is and thought this could be to help them get supplies."

It made a similar donation to St. Thomas Aquinas Early Education Center.

The faculty already had written thank you notes, which were piling up on Boltze's desk awaiting delivery.

"Usually, we'll get checks," Boltze said. "But there's something special when a teacher receives a $100 bill and it's purely to say, Thank you for all you do."