State schools Supt. Tom Luna said there's strong interest in being among the first third of schools to join the new “one-to-one” laptop computer program, in which every high school student would get a computer; his budget request includes $2.5 million for that next year. “Just as it is in every other part of our lives, we recognize that technology is no longer a 'nice-to-have' tool in the classroom. It is an essential tool,” Luna said. He's asked schools and districts to send letters of interest if they want to be in the first third; so far, he's gotten 73 letters representing 139 schools and more than 57,000 students - that's two-thirds of the state's high school students/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Question: Wouldn't you want a free laptop, too?