Although the odds of success are long, Gov. John Baldacci and the Education Department are right to continue to look for ways to expand the successful laptop computer program to the state’s high schools. Lawmakers failed to find money to fund the expansion, leaving little hope that next year’s ninth-graders would get the computers. But, rather than give up, the administration is looking at a variety of ways to pay for the roughly 17,000 computers that would be needed in the fall.

Many of their ideas are good. All of them are doomed without money.

While many lawmakers touted the success of the middle school laptop initiative, legislators failed in the final hours of their just-ended session to find money to expand the program to high schools. Unfortunately too many legislators still view laptops as a frill – a nice and even useful frill, but a frill nonetheless. Too bad they were not swayed by the testimony from middle school teachers and their students or by the studies conducted by institutions in Maine and beyond that praised the program.

It is also too bad that private donors cannot be convinced to save this important endeavor. Former Gov. Angus King, who volunteered to head private fund-raising efforts for the laptop initiative, said that philanthropic groups won’t do the state’s work for it. He’s partially right. The state can’t count on private donors to routinely step in to bail the state out of financial hardship. But this is a unique situation. Better times are bound to come (they’ve already arrived in most other states) and lawmakers will have an easier time finding money to buy computers for the four high school grades. In the meantime, students should not be shortchanged because of political shortsightedness.

Gov. King says the first rule of philanthropy is that you must contribute to the cause first. The state has contributed – more than $30 million to date. However, it needs help getting through this financial rough spot. Five million dollars is needed to buy laptops for next year’s ninth-graders. That is not a huge sum of money for the corporations and businesses that will benefit from better-educated Maine students. Many of these companies sang the praises of the laptop program in its infancy. Now that Gov. King’s baby needs some support, their assistance could keep it growing.

The commissioner of education is currently working with Apple Computer to continue Maine’s low-cost contract of $300 per computer per year. This deal will likely evaporate if Maine doesn’t sign up soon. Tactics such as “renting” the computers for a year and paying the bill the following year are being considered. There is also talk of using additional money that lawmakers approved for K-12 education to pay for a portion of the computers, with local school districts covering the rest of the cost. The problem with such schemes is that districts that can afford the computers will buy them. Those that can’t, won’t. This defeats the point of the initiative, which was to ensure that all students, no matter where they live, have access to the advantages technology can provide.

The Baldacci administration is to be commended for continuing to search for ways to expand this highly successful program. Lawmakers could help out when they meet again this summer by looking even harder for the needed money.