Computer Request of Parents Withdrawn

A school program asking parents in Palo Alto to buy $2,000 laptops for their sixth-graders has been put on hold.

The Jordan Middle School program was suspended Friday after several parents complained that it wasn’t fair to families who can’t afford the computers.

“The pause will allow for a reevaluation of the program,” said Bob Golton, acting superintendent of schools.

Last spring, 51 sixth-graders at Jordan participated in the then-pilot program. Using borrowed laptops, students typed their notes in class, then accessed them at home for their homework. With the wireless connection, they could conduct research anywhere.

Officials described the purchase as optional, but enrollment in the program, which also will rely heavily on a bank of school-purchased laptops, is not.