No flip-flop on laptops

Some legislators seem tempted to make a foolish move as they struggle to balance the state budget in a slowing economy. They are said to consider raiding the $50 million endowment created last year to finance laptops for Maine students.

Much study and some restructuring has occurred in the 10 months since Gov. King unveiled his bold plan to “provide every seventh-grader in Maine with an Internet-ready, portable computer, forever.” The changes being considered to the plan improve it in some areas and, as important, provide a means for more lawmakers to support the idea.

Funding would come from a one-time appropriation and from unallocated state funds, plus a match of $15 million from federal or private sources. This Maine Technology Endowment would generate interest to pay for the laptops and train teachers how to put them to the best use. The students could use the laptops in class, at home, even on the bus, take them on to high school, and keep them afterward.

Anticipating opposition, he tried to answer point by point. Sure, the computers would need upgrading and some would get broken or lost, but the state already upgrades and repairs in its existing computers-for-school program. Besides, thousands of kids already do a good job of keep track of their Game Boys, which are hand-held computers. And if the plan didn’t work, the state would still have the original money, and it could be reallocated.

The vision remains intact, but times have changed since then. The Legislature faces a $200 million deficit, instead of the surpluses that had seemed as if they would go on forever. And the 8 percent interest that Mr. King envisioned is a lot less in today’s investment market.

A special task force of educators and legislators is taking the changed economic climate into account as it puts final touches on its report, due Jan. 15, on how to spend the interest to buy the laptops, how to distribute and maintain them, and how to train the teachers.

Probably wisely, the panel has scaled back the governor’s original plan somewhat. Instead of full-scale laptops, the devices would be simpler models, which would still provide word processing and access to the Internet. They would belong not to the students but to the schools, and the students would check them out like library books. They still could take the computers home.

Having gone this far, the lawmakers should stay the course. It would be tragically short-sighted to let a bump in the economy interfere with a commitment to Maine’s youth and a project that could put Maine out in front in training for a high-technology future.

Give it a try. If it works, it will put Maine on the map as first state in the nation to take such a step. If it fails, then will be the time to reclaim the endowment.