Maine Continues $41M Laptop Program

It caught the attention of quite a few people when it was first proposed in early 2001, but Maine's investment in 2002 to provide every seventh and eighth grader with a new laptop - approximately 32,000 students and 4,000 teachers - continues to provide a useful example of the size and type of commitment and risk that elected leaders have to be willing to make to transform the outlook for a state or regional economy. It took strong leadership and determination from then-Gov. Angus King to make it happen then, but the move very quickly was recognized as a good investment for the state's future (see 2004 evaluation report).



This June, Maine renewed its commitment to the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, promising Apple iBook computers to the state's entire seventh and eighth grade population, both teachers and students at the state's 241 public schools, for the next four years. The $41 million price tag works out to roughly $289 per notebook computer and includes wireless networking capabilities.



Still considered one of the largest one-to-one educational technology programs in the world, Maine's laptop initiative has been emulated or attempted by many other states including Georgia Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New Hampshire and North Dakota.



The Associated Press reports the original laptops will be refurbished through private fundraising efforts led by former Gov. King. The revitalized machines will be redeployed in other areas of the state's K-12 education system, resulting in more than 70,000 computers being in use by this fall.



More information on the Maine Learning Technology Initiative is available at: http://www.state.me.us/mlte/index.htm