Give him credit for following through.

Former Gov. Angus King’s innovative and trend-setting program to put laptop computers into students’ hands won praise around the country. Because of much effort, and despite significant political pressure, the laptops remain one of King’s more enduring legacies.

Last week, he announced the next phase of his effort to reduce the digital divide that separates students of low-income families from students with access to more financial resources. King raised $850,000 for the Maine Learning Technology Foundation that will be used to provide free Internet access to all of the state’s middle school students and to the ninth- and 10th-graders who have laptops from their schools. Students who participate in the free or reduced lunch program are eligible for free dial-up Internet service, while other students can qualify for a subsidy.

Laptop computers and a connection to the Internet aren’t education silver bullets. Kids still have to work hard, teachers have to be well-qualified and parents need to be involved. But helping reduce the economic roadblocks to technology is a good way to engage students who might otherwise be left behind.

The demand for computer skills is already ubiquitous. Tomorrow’s workforce must develop the ability to easily navigate the digital landscape. Maine’s laptop computer program, coupled with the new program for free or reduced-cost Internet access, keeps the state and its students on the forefront of integrating technology into the classroom.