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[Wayan Vota]

The Public School System expects to receive today the delivery of 700 more laptops for Hopwood Junior High School and private school seventh graders who have yet to benefit from the One Laptop Per Child Project that started last year.

PSS associate commissioner Peter Le'au said yesterday the additional equipment were bought using funds from the $32.3 million State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.

Le'au said the shipment was initially expected last week but was delayed due to bad weather.

Once received, the laptops will be stored at PSS' Lower Base office for checking and verification. Formal distribution to Hopwood students is slated for Friday next week.

PSS distributed the first batch of laptops totaling 5,200 units in September last year. The increased enrollment this school year prompted the Board of Education to approve the requisition of more units. This was approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

According to Le'au, over 600 laptops will be given away to seventh graders at Hopwood. The remaining units will be added to the 300 laptops that PSS still has for distribution to seventh and eighth graders in private schools.

The laptops-brand new Latitude 2100 Net Books manufactured by Dell Corp.-are intended to aid students with their studies. The units are equipped with camera, wi-fi, and touch screen.

PSS decided early on to give laptops to just the 9th to 12th graders in private schools. With the additional laptops, 7th and 8th graders in private schools will now be covered.

In public schools, 7th to 12th graders benefited from the project.

700 more laptops for Hopwood, private schools expected today