"I just got a call to say we had won this competition and were going to receive $10,000.
"I thought someone was having me on," she said.
Mrs Collins said she was very grateful for Telecom's support and said they would put the money towards buying a smart board for their new classroom.
She said they had four classrooms at the Kea St site and another six classrooms at satellite schools around Rotorua and Taupo.
Mrs Collins said the new classroom was being opened at Malfroy School and a smart board, which worked like a digital white board, would provide good learning interaction.
"In the two-and-a-half years I've been in this role, our roll has risen from 36 to 57 [students]," she said.
School student Montana Davis, 20, said smart boards were great and they could do all sorts of things with them, like English and writing as well as watching pictures.
Telecom community relations manager Emma Blackmore said they wanted to enable Kiwi children and young adults to have the access to information they needed.
Kea Street Specialist School provides education for students aged 5 to 21 , with intellectual and physical disabilities, from the Rotorua and Taupo area.