Saying No to School Laptops Programs to Give All Students Computers Come Under Fire Over Costs, Inappropriate Use by Kids

Last summer, Shawna Adam and her sixth-grade daughter, Abby, eagerly awaited a back-to-school perk: an Apple Computer Inc. iBook Abby was issued — for just $78, because of her financial need — through Hermosa Drive Elementary school in Fullerton, Calif.

But after school started, Ms. Adam started to worry. Abby spent class time sending instant messages to friends and wanted to create a page on social-networking site MySpace.com. Her standardized writing-test scores fell, too. So Ms. Adam handed back the computer and pulled her daughter out of the laptop program, which is this year expanding to five schools. "What she learned was how to play games and email her friends," says Ms. Adam. "School was one big happy gabfest."

By JESSICA E. VASCELLARO

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