What if every sixth grader had a laptop?  What if every seventh grader knew they had college paid for?  What if every K-12 student could walk to school and back home?

It’s happening here and there, and hopefully it’ll all come together at one school.

- The state of Michigan is seeking a contract to provide all 130,000 of its sixth graders with laptops to be used in classrooms with wireless internet by January 1, 2004.

- The Department of Education is establishing a national program to assist other states in following the lead of Indiana and Oklahoma, guaranteeing every high school graduate a full tuition if they maintain a 2.0 grade point average from seventh grade on.

- States are beginning to realize the economic and social justification for smaller schools amid research documenting these benefits.

...and yes, in a CoolTown, every school would be within walking distance… mainly because kids like it that way.  With a little help, they’ll have smaller classrooms, a laptop and guaranteed college tuition as well.