STATING THE CASE FOR COMPUTERS : WILSON UNVEILS $1 BILLION PLAN TO MAKE HIGH SCHOOLS HIGH-TECH.

Byline: Terri Hardy Daily News Staff Writer

Gov. Pete Wilson introduced a $1 billion plan Monday to ``make computers in the classroom a reality for every high school in California'' over the next four years.

The ``Digital High School Initiative'' would make $50 million available next fiscal year for school districts that can provide matching funds or equipment - with the goal of pumping an average of $1 million in computer training and technology into some 100 high schools.

Ultimately, Wilson said, the program will benefit all of the state's 840 high schools, placing between 400,000 and 1 million new computers in classrooms.

``Today, computers are as much an educational mainstay as chalkboards and textbooks,'' Wilson said in a statement. ``Every high school student in California deserves the same access to this technology - to go on-line and get in-line with the global competition of the 21st century.''

It was the third major education initiative announced by Wilson since Thursday, leading up to his State of the State speech today and the release of the state budget Thursday in which funding proposals for the initiatives will be outlined in detail.

Last, week Wilson unveiled plans to include $488 million to expand class size reduction in kindergarten through third grades and $46 million to train teachers in back-to-basics phonics instruction.

Wilson said his latest plan to boost school technology was a key component in his education program.

Although the state is the birthplace of high technology, it ranks 45th out of the 50 states in student access to computer technology, Wilson noted.

A 1996 report by the California Education Technology Task Force found that the state's schools provide one computer for every 14 students - compared to a one-computer-to-six-student ratio in leading states.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District an average of more than 17 students vie for time at each terminal.

Brad Sales, spokesman for LAUSD Superintendent Sid Thompson, said the district would welcome an infusion of technology into its 50 high schools but could not comment on whether the matching funds were available to take advantage of it.

However, David Tokofsky, a LAUSD board member, said he believes schools will be able to come up with matching funds - but only if they make technology a priority.

As the nation's economic picture brightens, more money is becoming available to districts that should be used for technology, he said.

``Some schools are spending money on things that may not drive kids into the next century, but I'd much rather that they use their money to train students for technology,'' Tokofsky said.

And, he said that the matching fund requirement is good for schools.

``I like it, it creates a good mating ritual between the local and the central,'' he said.

At Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, where the 3,700 students have fewer than 75 up-to-date computers, the governor's plan was welcomed.

``It's the first time in a long time that the state seems to realize what we need to educate our students,'' said Carolyn Burch, principal at Polytechnic. ``Providing technology is our No. 1 goal, but you need money to do that.''

Burch said would like to see computer centers in every classroom, with many linked to the Internet. She said $1 million would go a long way toward attaining that goal.

``Students could access all kinds of information for research papers, far beyond what's available to them at the high school library,'' Burch said. ``They could put together multimedia presentations with graphics, scan in photos, or use video clips.''

Putting five computers in each classroom would mean about 300 new computers, she said.

Wilson's program will require districts to provide matching funds and commit to installing the computers within 24 months.

``I want to emphasize that this is a partnership between Sacramento and schools, not a government giveaway,'' Wilson said.

Wilson said an important component of the plan was encouraging donations from businesses. The governor's plan would allow the value of donated computers to be applied toward their matching funds.

Polytechnic's Burch liked the idea of involving businesses in the process.

``Business leaders are calling for students with more computer skills, but the only way students get those skills is through hands-on experience,'' Burch said. ``Right now, we can't provide that, but businesses could help.''