Laptop questions

Superintendent Tom Luna's post-legislative tour passed through Cd'A Monday bringing together education leaders from throughout the region. I read the article but did not see references made to the implementation of the bill relating to the purchase/issuance of laptop computers to the ninth-grade students. Since this must surely be an item of significant budget impact, I was surprised at the lack of coverage relating to its implementation.

As school district administrators are planning for the 2011-2012 school year, they must surely have some questions concerning the laptop bill. Perhaps they have already raised the questions indicated below, but in any case, I am quite certain the general citizenry would like the answers as well.

Who is responsible for the purchasing process for these computers? Is it the local school district or is it to be done at the state level for all Idaho affected districts? Who selects the software programs to be used?

Are all of these laptops to be the same model and make statewide or will it be determined district-by-district? Are local computer dealers to be considered as the supplier for local districts and/or will it be a competitive bidding process whether by state or local suppliers? What is the state budgeted amount for the purchase/maintenance/software of the laptops?

Is this to be an ongoing decision making process for subsequent years or will it be that once a brand/model is selected, it will remain the laptop of choice for future years, recognizing that improvements/changes to that laptop would become the next selection?

The bill will furnish a laptop computer to each ninth-grader. Does the bill contain any information/guidance relating to its effective usage? Perhaps either the passing of a "keyboard skills assessment," or the requirement that a keyboarding class of at least one semester be completed to ensure the student will become competent in the laptop's usage before issuing that student the computer. The selected laptop could become the laptop to be used in the keyboarding classroom. Maybe a one-semester keyboarding class to be offered at the eighth-grade level? Simply allowing a student to adopt a two-fingered typing approach would be detrimental to the student's mastery of typing skills so needed for its effective usage. I took typing in high school and I must confess that it may very well have been the course I use most often in my everyday life.

Since this tool is to enhance the education of the students, it will probably find its way into some of the high school courses for use in writing essays or research papers. Have you considered how the students will be able to print out their work for submission to the instructor? It may require the availability of printers for student use. This may create a need for additional state funding to the local schools to meet this need.

I assume the issuance of a laptop to a ninth-grader comes with the expectation that the student will be using this tool for the remainder of his high school years. Will local school districts be expected to furnish maintenance, repair or replacement in the case of a laptop being broken, lost, or stolen? Upgrades in the computers' programs?

Back to the original concern about the planning needed for individual school districts to implement the bill dictating laptops to ninth-grade students? I'm sure the superintendents have asked these questions, but these questions are ones the patrons and students of the districts need to ask as well.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

David Larsen is a Coeur d'Alene resident and former state legislative candidate.