Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, asked state schools Supt. Tom Luna about SB 1184, "In one part of this we said we was gonna give the money to the districts for buying the technology, and then the state was going to pay for the maintenance. ... If the districts decide how those instruments can be used and what the kids do with them etc. etc., ... and the state's responsible for maintenance, I can see a conflict there, because the districts wouldn't have any skin in the game when it comes to maintenance."

Luna responded, "Those devices are provided, maintained, repaired and replaced by the state. The devices are owned by the local school districts, and they decide how they will be deployed in the classroom." But he said the cost of purchasing and maintaining the laptops, or "computing devices," would be borne by the state. "The reason that is handled at the state level is for an economy of scale," Luna said. "It's all handled through one procurement, and you can drive the cost down considerably."

Luna said, "We want them to have a stake in the game, we want them to have ownership. We also want to do this in the most economical way possible and the most efficient way possible." Those details will be addressed by a task force the bill sets up, Luna said.