The school board last night voted 8-0 to approve a $3.1 million contract with Apple Computer Inc. to lease about 1,200 laptop and desktop computers.

The four-year lease provides laptops for use at school and at home to students in grades nine to 12.

Selected as one of the state's three "digital school districts" three years ago, Quaker Valley had been providing laptops to students in grades three to 12 for use on a school wireless network and at home. A state grant funded the program.

Under the new lease, sufficient computers, both laptop and desktop, will be available for use at school in libraries, computer labs and mobile computing carts at the elementary and middle schools.