On Thursday, it looked like Stillwater's innovative program to give laptops to middle school students might be ending. A memo from Superintendent Keith Ryskoski seemed to indicate that budget woes called for a cut in the technology budget and the laptops would be history.

But at a meeting last night, laptop supporters "drew an audible sigh of relief" when it was announced that the program will continue through next year, said the Stillwater Gazette.

The paper said most people at the meeting interpreted Ryskoski's announcement of the reprieve to be a reversal of the position he expressed in a district-wide e-mail the day before. But after the meeting, the superintendent said he had not changed his thinking on the issue, only the way he expressed it.

According to the paper:

"Ryskoski said his plan would use the lion's share of about $1 million in technology funding next year to purchase a new district-wide phone system and continue the laptop programs at Oak-Land and Stillwater Junior High School.

"There seemed to be broad support for the proposal among board members, who are scheduled to vote on the matter June 9.

"Still, board members pressed Ryskoski to come to that meeting with more detailed figures and a rough outline of when and how the school system would approach its tech budget next year. The superintendent said he would."