Movies show a little class.

Cash strapped schools have discovered a new source of income: Hollywood. Last December, the Harrison School in Los Angeles earned $7,827 for letting camera crews shoot the school's exterior for the opening sequence in the Toni Cruise movie Collateral. It was the first time a film crew was allowed onto the campus. But times are tough, says the principal, Marguerite Murphy. She plans to buy playground equipment or computers with the money. The number of Los Angeles-area schools that have volunteered for parts in movies, television shows, and commercials has jumped to 65 from 19 in the last two years. according to industry records. In New Jersey, about 150 schools are listed in the state film commission's database. Many "are hurting economically and could use the boost," says the commission's associate director, Steven Gorelick. Recent shoots in New York state include School of Rock at Buckley Country Day School in Roslyn and The Stepford Wives at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. But some schools complain about the disruption caused by camera crews and teams of extras. Laguna Beach High School in California recently passed on the chance to earn up to $40,000 from an MTV shoot after parents objected.