A $46 million high school dazzling with the latest technology - from interactive digital textbooks and computerized tablets to electronic play diagrams for the basketball team - will be built by the Philadelphia School District in partnership with the Microsoft Corp., officials announced today.

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Microsoft's contribution will not be monetary, but services worth millions of dollars, including a full-time on-site project manager, planning and design expertise, staff training and ongoing technology support. It plans to bring in other technology partners.

The company's reward is the opportunity to design a school using technology in every way possible from the ground up - a prototype it could then market.

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"They will be in an advisory capacity. We're still running the school," said Ellen Savitz, the district's chief development officer. "There's no fear of a corporation somehow overtaking the educational focus."

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Could be good, could be bad. This seems like Internet Explorer vs. Netscape Navigator all over again. Open source alternatives on cheap hardware versus Microsoft's offering. The game this time is technology in schools. Microsoft does NOT want kids learning any alternatives, I know that much. Teach them early that Microsoft is how you interface with information technology.

I think their definately should be a healthy fear of Microsoft having too much of a focus in education.